Multilevel Pathways of Rural and Urban Poverty as Determinants of Childhood Undernutrition in the Philippines

• Main Authors: Siy Van, Vanessa T., Sales, Zarah G., Gordoncillo, Normahitta P., Advincula-Lopez, Leslie, Sescon, Joselito T., Miro, Eden Delight
• Format: text
• Published: Archīum Ateneo 2021
• Subjects: Asia; child nutrition; urbanization; poverty; Health Policy; Human and Clinical Nutrition; Maternal and Child Health; Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration; Social Welfare
• Online Access: https://archium.ateneo.edu/hs-faculty-pubs/19; https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10875549.2021.2011818
• Institution: Ateneo De Manila University

This paper identified and compared pathways of childhood undernutrition among 308 rural and 310 urban children from low-income households in the Philippines. Multidisciplinary analyses based on quantitative and qualitative data revealed unique urban and rural constraints accounting for differing nutritional outcomes. Urban poor families were more food secure, though vegetable avoidance and poor micronutrient adequacy were observed. Rather than mitigate threats to undernutrition, rural households’ reliance on home food agriculture heightened risk to food insecurity, as the Philippines is vulnerable to crop-destroying tropical storms. Our findings suggest the need to strengthen local governance institutions to implement context-specific multisectoral interventions.