Maternal health knowledge and calcium deficiency among children in China

Abstract

This paper examines to what extent a mother’s knowledge about diet- and health-related behaviors (so-called mother’s health knowledge) facilitate preventing calcium deficiency among children. It also analyzes how a mother’s health knowledge influences her child’s calcium intake. Using three-day food record data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey in 2004, we found that children tended to take in more calcium and were less likely to be calcium deficient if they lived with a mother who had better health knowledge. We also found that the positive effect of the mother’s health knowledge on the child’s calcium intake was larger among poorer households than richer households. The findings support the efficacy of health information provision to mothers in preventing calcium deficiency among children in China, particularly among poor households.

Date of Award	2010
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology