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Article

Role of Maternal Empowerment in Addressing Child Malnutrition: Evidence from Asian Developing Countries

by
Mariam Abbas Soharwardi
1,
Najma Iqbal Malik
2,
Razia Anjum
3,
Muhammad Sohaib Haleem
4,
Inam Ullah Leghari
5,
Jam Bilal Ahmad
6,
Rohma Maryam
7,
Maimoona Nazir
8,
Saireen Fatima
9,
Farooq Ahmed
10,* and
Kun Tang
11,*
1
Department of Economics, Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan
2
Department of Psychology, University of Sargodha, Sargodha 33600, Pakistan
3
Department of Psychology, Bath Spa University, Ras al Khaimah 71705, United Arab Emirates
4
UNICEF, Hafizabad, Punjab 54782, Pakistan
5
Department of Anthropology, Quaid-I-Azam University, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
6
Taxila Institute of Asian Studies, Quaid-I-Azam University, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
7
Department of Biotechnology, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan
8
Bakhtawar Amin Medical & Dental College, Multan, Multan 60000, Pakistan
9
Fazaia Medical College, Air University, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
10
Department of Anthropology, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan
11
Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
 
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Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Children 2025, 12(5), 597; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12050597
Submission received: 26 January 2025 / Revised: 30 April 2025 / Accepted: 2 May 2025 / Published: 4 May 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Global Pediatric Health)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Background: Malnutrition among expectant mothers in underdeveloped areas is abundant and a serious public health concern. This study examines how maternal empowerment affects nutritional outcomes among under-five children in developing Asian nations. Objective: With an emphasis on nutritional outcomes, including stunting, wasting, and underweight, the main objective of this study is to investigate the connection between mother empowerment and child malnutrition and explore how better child health in developing Asian nations can be achieved through empowering mothers. Methods: Using Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data of ten emerging Asian countries from three regions of Asia, this study evaluates maternal empowerment using the composite maternal empowerment index (CMEI) and examines how it relates to children’s nutritional health. For the assessment of the significance of the association between maternal empowerment and child health outcomes, statistical analysis was conducted. Results: Our results indicated that maternal empowerment and child health have a statistically significant relationship, especially regarding a reduction in the prevalence of stunting, wasting, and underweight conditions in children. At the same time, maternal education showed a significant role in reducing malnutrition in children in all three regions of Asia. Conclusion: In conclusion, developing Asian nations require empowering women. Also, it is essential to initiate nutrition programs, extension education, and synergistic working models that are especially suited to rural women. By strengthening mothers’ roles in promoting their children’s health, these initiatives can help solve the widespread problem of child malnutrition.
Keywords: maternal empowerment; child malnutrition; binary logistic regression; developing Asian countries; composite maternal empowerment index (CMEI) maternal empowerment; child malnutrition; binary logistic regression; developing Asian countries; composite maternal empowerment index (CMEI)

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MDPI and ACS Style

Soharwardi, M.A.; Malik, N.I.; Anjum, R.; Haleem, M.S.; Leghari, I.U.; Ahmad, J.B.; Maryam, R.; Nazir, M.; Fatima, S.; Ahmed, F.; et al. Role of Maternal Empowerment in Addressing Child Malnutrition: Evidence from Asian Developing Countries. Children 2025, 12, 597. https://doi.org/10.3390/children12050597

AMA Style

Soharwardi MA, Malik NI, Anjum R, Haleem MS, Leghari IU, Ahmad JB, Maryam R, Nazir M, Fatima S, Ahmed F, et al. Role of Maternal Empowerment in Addressing Child Malnutrition: Evidence from Asian Developing Countries. Children. 2025; 12(5):597. https://doi.org/10.3390/children12050597

Chicago/Turabian Style

Soharwardi, Mariam Abbas, Najma Iqbal Malik, Razia Anjum, Muhammad Sohaib Haleem, Inam Ullah Leghari, Jam Bilal Ahmad, Rohma Maryam, Maimoona Nazir, Saireen Fatima, Farooq Ahmed, and et al. 2025. "Role of Maternal Empowerment in Addressing Child Malnutrition: Evidence from Asian Developing Countries" Children 12, no. 5: 597. https://doi.org/10.3390/children12050597

APA Style

Soharwardi, M. A., Malik, N. I., Anjum, R., Haleem, M. S., Leghari, I. U., Ahmad, J. B., Maryam, R., Nazir, M., Fatima, S., Ahmed, F., & Tang, K. (2025). Role of Maternal Empowerment in Addressing Child Malnutrition: Evidence from Asian Developing Countries. Children, 12(5), 597. https://doi.org/10.3390/children12050597

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