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Children Undernourished across the Parliamentary Constituencies of India: A Geo-Spatial Analysis

Apoorva Nambiar, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
Satish B Agnihotri, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
Dharma Arunachalam, Monash University

GIS when combined with spatial analytical methods are very helpful in examining the spatial patterns. Their application and use are invaluable in research as it allows for more precise identification of spatial patterns and highlights the results which may otherwise be hidden. These applications have important implications in policymaking, since it also helps to understand the associations between geography and child malnutrition and its various correlates such as maternal health, education, sanitation, and other socio-economic determinants, and are relatively important in planning programs to eradicate malnutrition. The situation of child malnutrition in India has been extremely critical for the last few decades. Majority of the studies in India are based on data either at the state level or district level. A study at the level of Parliamentary constituencies is important in terms of measurement of governance and setting the manifesto for public elections. This study looks at the spatial heterogeneity of malnutrition among the children across the 543 parliamentary constituencies of India, using univariate, bivariate LISA-techniques and spatial regression models. Hence, this study is of more significance, and is an opportunity for the Government to reflect upon and initiate around the importance of collecting data at the political constituency level.

Keywords: Children and youth, Spatial analysis/regression, Spatial dependence/heterogeneity, Spatial statistics

See extended abstract.

  Presented in Session P2.