Date

8-6-2025

Department

School of Health Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences (PhD)

Chair

JoAnna Cupp

Keywords

nutrition anthropology, malnutrition, undernutrition, wasting, stunting, overweight, double burden of malnutrition

Disciplines

Anthropology | Nutrition

Abstract

Food is essential to growth and development for people and nations. Too little or too much food can lead to undernutrition or overweight, both forms of malnutrition. While there have been improvements in undernutrition, overweight is increasing, causing the double burden of malnutrition globally, which is especially true in low-income and middle-income countries. Understanding nutrition anthropology's economic, environmental, and socio-cultural factors is critical to combat malnutrition's burden in different populations. Shaping policies and investments in malnutrition need to be strategic to have a measurable impact on malnutrition improvements. This study identified nutrition anthropology factors using six economic, environmental, and socio-cultural indicators: GDP, government expenditure on education, literacy rate, fertility rate, rural population, and urban population, in 193 countries to analyze relationships with wasting, stunting, and overweight. Publicly accessible data was used for correlational research, analyzing the relationships among different variables through BCa bootstrap linear regression, quantile regression, and Spearman’s correlation statistical tests. The analysis included 155 countries, since 38 countries did not report any malnutrition statistic; plus, data was stratified by country income level and regional classification based on World Bank standards. When BCa bootstrap linear regression showed significant results, then quantile regression and Spearman’s correlations were conducted to increase the robustness of the study results. The results determined statistically significant results for wasting and stunting, but not overweight. Literacy rate is a predictor of wasting and fertility rate is a predictor of stunting across all 155 countries. Lower-middle income countries also indicated literacy rate as a predictor of wasting but no other country classifications. Urban population was also shown to be a predictor of stunting across all countries and Sub-Saharan African countries. Literacy rate was a predictor of stunting in the 25th quantile regression. The research concluded additional global evidence supporting undernutrition, wasting and stunting, in 155 countries, where impacts in education may improve literacy rates or fertility rates that essentially will improve malnutrition.

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