Understanding the Multifactorial Influences on under-Five Child Malnutrition in Malawi: A Decomposition Perspective

Faith Millongo, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Kennedy Machira, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Child malnutrition has been a public health concern particularly in low-income countries like Malawi. Using the 2015-16 Malawi Demographic Health Survey, a Multiple Indicator Multiple Causal Model was used to assess multifactual influences on child malnutrition in terms of stunting, wasting and underweight followed by a decomposition approach. Results from multivariate analysis show that there is no full effect of maternal empowerment factors on under-five child malnutrition across all indicators. However, increasing maternal nutritional knowledge have a potential of reducing stunting and underweight in under-children. A further analysis through decomposition found child stunting as dominantly affected by maternal education, child age which had a dominant contribution to wasting and maternal nutritional knowledge which had a dominant contribution to child underweight. Therefore, the need to provide valuable insights into the complex parameters affecting child malnutrition is imperative if the country public health statuses of the children is to reap health dividend.