Undernutrition in Bolivia : geography and culture matter

This publication addresses the issues of health problems and malnutrition in Bolivia. Specifically, it analyses the association between a bidimensional measure of child heath (composed of height an weight scores) and a set of child nutrition determinants related to physical and cultual contexts, the mother's characteristics, household assets and access to public services. A major finding is that geogrpahical and cultural variables are significant determinants of nutritional status and that the role of the mother's anthropometrical characteristics is substantial. This publication is aimed at quite a technical audience, and all the information is qualified by detailed statistics. Section 4.2 focuses particularly on cultural variables and how this affects nutrition in young children