Intergenerational Effects of Stunting on Human Capital: Where Does the Compass Point?

Abstract

Development of any nation hinges on its human capital. Human capital formation starts from early stages of childhood. Early childhood nutrition is one of the determinants of improved health and development. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of nutrition in impacting cognitive development, education attainment and skill development, which are the determinants of human capital. This is an attempt to analyse the intrinsic relationship between stunting and its intergenerational impact on human capital. Systemic review of literature method was put to use, to analyse the interactions between stunting and human capital. The search criteria limited the period to 30 years (1986-2017) and relevant to childhood nutrition. The search was drawn from PubMed, Web of Science and relevant independent surveys, journals and reports of repute. The study reveals that the human capital formation starts from the early stages of childhood and healthy childhood holds positive relationship to formation of human capital in the long run. Healthy childhood is largely attributed to improved nutrition which has an impact on underweight, wasting and stunting. While improvement in underweight and wasting can be achieved in short run, stunting is intergenerational and needs more long-term investments. Both nutrition specific as well as nutrition sensitive interventions play a critical role in development of robust human capital that leads to improved employability and enhanced earnings for an individual in the future. However, to have an impact on stunting, it calls for a shift in focus by augmenting investments towards nutrition sensitive domain as well, along with its present focus in nutrition specific domain. We use the evidences from South Asian and Sub Saharan countries, to make a case for India where 38 percent of children are stunted and where WASH, agriculture and women empowerment programmes do not focus on nutrition nor measure nutritional outcomes.

What explains the large disparity in child stunting in the Philippines? A decomposition analysis

“…Stunting is a marker of chronic malnutrition that affects 144 million children and causes significant disease burden worldwide (1,2) . Stunting is an important determinant of human capital and is a predictor of economic productivity (3)(4)(5) . It is linked to poorer cognitive and educational outcomes (6,7) , lower wages (8,9) , and poorer health in adult life (3,10) .…”

Predictors of Major Dietary Patterns Among Pregnant Women Attending Public Health Facilities in Eastern Ethiopia: A New Epidemiological Approach

“…It is clear that habits of pica, food aversions, and cravings predispose women to low food intakes and ultimately malnutrition in developing countries. Thus, pregnant women to avoid nutritious foods such as animal-source foods, cereals, and legumes, aggravating the risk of micronutrient deficiencies ( 8 , 57 ). Hormonal changes during pregnancy and culturally specific food taboos are the main drivers of consumption of non-nutritious foods and non-food items ( 59 ).…”

“…In addition, evidence from Ethiopia showed that women who received dietary counseling had 7–8 times better dietary practices (AOR = 7.2; 95% CI: 4.49, 11.49). These urges for enhanced comprehensive and targeted dietary counseling for pregnant women should be strengthened for a better maternal and fetal nutrition in Ethiopia ( 8 ).…”

“…Maternal malnutrition is strongly associated with an increased morbidity and mortality burden due to low birth weight, preterm birth, cognitive dysfunction, anemia, neural tube defects, and other negative consequences for the mother and newborns. Poor nutrition has long-term consequences, including an increased risk of chronic diseases in adulthood ( 4 – 8 ).…”

Nutrition for Pre-school Children in Africa and Asia: A Review Analysis on the Economic Impact of Children’s Malnutrition

“…A significant proportion (78.2%) of children ate more than three times a day, while 96.4% of children routinely defined everyday meals and advised that parents encourage their children's healthier eating habits. Chakravarty, Tatwadi, and Ravi (2019) examined the intrinsic relation between stunting and its intergenerational impact on human capital from 1986 to 2017 in South Asian and Sub-Saharan countries. The study found that the formation of human capital starts in the early stages of childhood.…”