Trends in Child Malnutrition Among the Urban Poor in Sub-Saharan Africa

Urban residents generally perform better on health indicators, leading to the belief that health conditions are better in urban areas. Urban averages, however, are deceiving. They can mask large differentials by SES and hide the problem of poor health among the impoverished. Uncovering the heterogeneity behind urban averages is crucial to improving health outcomes. This paper attempts to unmask these differentials, in the case of child malnutrition, in 16 Sub-Saharan African countries using data from Demographic and Health Surveys. Specifically, I will compare trends in malnutrition among the urban poor, urban non-poor, and rural residents. I include rural residents to assess how the urban-rural gap has changed. Because urban areas are diverse, I will examine trends in malnutrition by type of urban area (capital city vs. towns and cities). Using multilevel logistic regression, I will also test whether the urban poor have higher odds of malnutrition than the urban non-poor.