Determinants of Malnutrition in Bangladesh

Overview

This 4th-year undergraduate project applies logistic regression to identify key socioeconomic and demographic determinants of child malnutrition in Bangladesh, using data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS).

Data & Methods

• Dataset: BDHS (5,000+ child records with anthropometric measurements)
• Software: R (dplyr, ggplot2, glm) + SPSS for descriptive analysis
• Outcome variables: Stunting, wasting, underweight (WHO Z-score thresholds)
• Predictors: Maternal education, household wealth, sanitation, birth interval, breastfeeding duration

Key Findings

Mother’s education and household wealth index were the strongest protective factors. Children from the poorest quintile had 3.2× higher odds of stunting compared to the wealthiest quintile.