Small area estimation with application to child malnutrition in Rwanda

Abstract

In this thesis, we were aiming at investigating the small area estimates of the malnutrition indicators. For this, we rst studied the small area estimation technique using Elbers, Lanjouw and Lanjouw (ELL) method. This approach is used in the case of lack of precision and accuracy of direct estimates at a sub-population level. The subpopulation level meant here can be a geographical region or a demographical domain. To solve this problem, we introduce other variables called covariates to borrow strength in other related (mainly neighboring) domains or past researches in the same domain. Such variables must be such that they usually are in correlation with the variable of interest. In our study, we considered the districts to be the small areas. The malnutrition indicators which were our interest are: Stunting also called height-for-age, Underweight also called weight-for-age and Wasting also called weight-for-height. The covariates used to explain the rates of those indicators are: poverty rate, illiteracy rate and urbanization rate. These three covariates were chosen because they were found to be of great impact on nutritional status as published in the report of National Institute of Statistics Of Rwanda (NISR) of the 2010 Demographic and Health Survey. Some information was obtained from the third integrated household living conditions (EICV3) report. Stunting which is the indicator of chronic malnutrition was found to be of the highest proportion compared to other indicators in all districts. The underweight indicating the malnutrition in the recent period of time comes at the second place and lastly, the wasting. Apart from the reduction of malnutrition indicators rates which may have undergone in general, the same remarks are highlighted. The districts from Kigali City province are not much su ering from malnutrition followed by those of the Eastern province. Among six rst su ering districts referring to stunting, there are three of the Western Province, two of the Southern Province and One of the Northern Province. Those districts are: Nyamasheke, Rutsiro, Ngororero, Gisagara, Nyaruguru and Burera. As stunting was at low proportion in Kigali City, the underweight is also more than two times lower than for all other Provinces. The wasting proportion is not high in general in the whole country.