Why are Hindu Scheduled Caste/Tribe Children Still Prone to Higher Risk of Undernutrition than Upper Caste in India? A Chronological Study (2005-06 to 2019-21)

Background & Objectives: Socioeconomic deprivation among marginalized communities in India before independence necessitates further investigation into the inequality in undernutrition prevalence between upper caste and marginalized children within the framework of SDGs 2, 3, and 10. This study aims to estimate the gap in overall undernutrition prevalence, between upper caste (UC) and Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) children in traditional Hindu society during the periods 2005–06, 2015–16, and 2019–21. Additionally, it seeks to quantify the contributions of various factors—including child, maternal, household, and regional backgrounds—in explaining the CIAF gap between UC and marginalized children over the past 15 years. Design: The study employed 3 rounds of the National Family Health Survey Data (NFHS-3, 4, and 5). The Fairlie decomposition method was utilized to estimate persisting inequality and quantified contributions of different background variables in explaining the inequality between UC and SC/ST children in the prevalence of CIAF. Results: The findings reveal a notable gap in the prevalence of CIAF between Hindu UC and SC/ST children from 2005–06 to 2019–21. Moreover, there has been a gradual reduction in these inequalities over the same period. The influence of background variables in explaining the CIAF gap between Hindu UC and SC/ST children has declined from 2005–06 to 2019–21, indicating an increasing impact of unmeasured determinants over time. This study also highlights the substantial roles of household socioeconomic status, maternal education, household WASH conditions, child anaemia levels, and birth order in explaining the CIAF gap between Hindu UC and SC/ST children over the past decade. Conclusions: The outcome of the study suggests innervations to reduce socioeconomic inequality between UC and SC/ST sections and adequate measures to improve mothers’ education level, household WASH condition and childhood anaemia among marginalized sections for reducing inter-group difference in the prevalence of childhood undernutrition in India.