Sosyal Bilimler ve Sağlık Bülteni

Özgün Makale

No. 16 (2025)

Child Malnutrition and Inequality: A Comparative Analysis of Selected Countries

Submitted
October 16, 2025
Published
2025-11-18

Abstract

This study examines the socio-economic inequalities behind child malnutrition and assesses Turkey’s position from a comparative perspective. A comparative analysis was conducted for 2004–2014 and 2015–2025 using data from UNICEF and the World Bank. The purposively selected sample includes Afghanistan, Germany, India, Iraq, Niger, Pakistan, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. Relationships between nutritional indicators (stunted, wasted, overweight) and socio-economic indicators (GNI per capita and Gini coefficient) were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation. Results show Turkey’s stunting rate improved significantly, falling from 11.3% to 5.3%. However, income inequality increased (Gini rose from 39.0 to 43.0) and overweight rates remained high (7.5%). Correlation analysis confirmed a strong positive link between per capita income and healthy child rates in 2004–2014 (r=0.895; p<0.01), which weakened in 2015–2025 (r=0.702; p=0.052). Economic growth alone is insufficient to combat child malnutrition; as incomes rise, social inequalities play a greater role. Sustainable strategies should therefore focus not only on income growth but also on equitable distribution to address all forms of malnutrition, including overweight.

References

  1. Adalı, T., & Tezcan, S. (2013). Sosyal eşitsizliğin bir yansıması: Türkiye'de çocukluk döneminde yetersiz beslenme. Nüfusbilim Dergisi.35, 3–17.
  2. Dünya Bankası. (2023). World Development Indicators. https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators. Erişim: 01.10.2025
  3. Dünya Sağlık Örgütü (DSÖ) 2024 Malnutrition. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malnutrition. Erişim: 01.10.2025
  4. Fraser, N. (2003). Social justice in the age of identity politics: Redistribution, recognition, and participation. N. Fraser & A. Honneth (Eds.), Redistribution or recognition? A political-philosophical exchange (ss. 7–109). Verso.
  5. Hundeshagen, C., Rosmann, H., & Lindenmeier, J. (2024). The effect of obligatory versus voluntary school food standard implementation on the fulfillment of the school food standard requirements in Germany. NFS Journal, 37, 100197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nfs.2024.100197
  6. Jiaiya, M. A., Anjorin, S., & Uthman, O. A. (2024). Income and education disparities in childhood malnutrition: a multi-country decomposition analysis. BMC Public Health, 24(1), 2882. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-20378-z
  7. Luick, M., Bandy, L. K., Harrington, R., Vijayan, J., Adams, J., Cummins, S., Rayner, M., Rogers, N., Rutter, H., Smith, R., White, M., & Scarborough, P. (2024). The impact of the UK soft drink industry levy on the soft drink marketplace, 2017-2020: An interrupted time series analysis with comparator series. PloS one, 19(6), e0301890. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0301890
  8. Miyawaki, A., Evans, C. E. L., Lucas, P. J., & Kobayashi, Y. (2021). Relationships between social spending and childhood obesity in OECD countries: an ecological study. BMJ open, 11(2), e044205. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044205
  9. Popkin, B. M. (2017). Relationship between shifts in food system dynamics and acceleration of the global nutrition transition. Nutrition Reviews, 75(2), 73–82. https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuw064
  10. Prasad, J. B., Pezhhan, A., & Patil, S. H. (2021). Effect of wealth, social inequality, Mother's BMI, and education level on child malnutrition in India. Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews, 15(6), 102304. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsx.2021.102304
  11. Sen, A. (1999). Development as Freedom. Oxford University Press.
  12. Sen, Amartya (1999) "Commodities and Capabilities". Oxford University Press India.
  13. Smith, L. C., & Haddad, L. (2015). Reducing child undernutrition: Past drivers and priorities for the post-MDG era. World Development, 68, 180–204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2014.11.014
  14. T.C. Sağlık Bakanlığı, Halk Sağlığı Genel Müdürlüğü. (2019). Türkiye Beslenme ve Sağlık Araştırması 2019: Beslenme Durumu ve Alışkanlıklarının Değerlendirilmesi Sonuç Raporu. Sağlık Bakanlığı Yayın No: 1132. Ankara.
  15. UNICEF. (2023). The State of the World's Children 2023: For every child, vaccination. UNICEF. https://www.unicef.org/reports/state-worlds-children-2023. 01.10.2025
  16. Van de Poel, E., Hosseinpoor, A. R., Speybroeck, N., Van Ourti, T., & Vega, J. (2008). Socioeconomic inequality in malnutrition in developing countries. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 86(4), 282–291. https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.07.044800
  17. White, P.A., Awad, Y.A., Gauvin, L. et al. Household income and maternal education in early childhood and risk of overweight and obesity in late childhood: Findings from seven birth cohort studies in six high-income countries. Int J Obes 46, 1703–1711 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-022-01171-7

Most read articles by the same author(s)

1 2 > >>