Selected successors: an investigation of sex-differentiated parental care and child health outcomes in northwest Tanzania

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Date
2014
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Volume Title
Publisher
University of Alabama Libraries
Abstract

Profound cross-cultural differences have been observed in the relative health status of male and female children. In many cases, females grow better than males under resource-poor conditions compared to reference standards. This relationship may be explained by differential care through parenting practices, biological differences between male and females or a combination of both. This study took place in Mwanza, Tanzania, May through July 2013, with a sample of 71 mother/child dyads from four different clinics. The aim was to evaluate evidence for differential growth patterns between girls and boys under the age of 5 years, and to explain any differences by relating parenting practices to child health, demographic characteristics, household wealth, maternal wellbeing, and food insecurity. Findings from this study do not support sex differences in well-being for the child participants in the study. Child sex was not associated with diarrheal symptoms, respiratory symptoms, maternal mental health problems, food insecurity, height for age z-scores (HAz), or weight for age z-scores (WAz). Future studies will explore mediated and moderated pathways, including possible moderation of child health outcomes by sex and household structure.

Description
Electronic Thesis or Dissertation
Keywords
Cultural anthropology, Biology
Citation