Abstract

Background: Child stunting and underweight are worldwide issues that may be connected to family structure. This research examined family type (nuclear vs. joint), women's empowerment, and child nutrition in Karachi, Pakistan.
Methods: A cross-sectional research included 450 under-5s and their moms from healthcare settings. Child nutrition and mother empowerment were examined using standardized instruments. Nutritional outcomes, empowerment, and child stunting/underweight were examined across household types.
Results: Compared to children from nuclear families (stunting: 32.9%, 95% CI: 27.0-39.3; underweight: 15.6%, 95% CI: 10.9-21.4), children from joint families showed substantially reduced rates of underweight (32.9%, 95% CI: 27.0-39.3) and stunting (22.7%, 95% CI: 17.8-28.3) (p = 0.02 for both). In comparison to nuclear families (12.9%, 95% CI: 8.9-17.7), the slightly higher overweight prevalence in joint families (14.7%, 95% CI: 10.3-19.8) was not statistically significant (p = 0.51). Remarkably, greater maternal empowerment ratings were substantially linked to a decreased risk of stunting (OR = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.87-0.98, p = 0.01) and underweight (OR = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.87-0.98, p = 0.01) in children, independent of the type of household.
Conclusion: This research demonstrates that combined family structure may minimize stunting and underweight. Women's empowerment also improved child nutrition in both families. Further study is required to understand these results' mechanisms and long-term effects.
Keywords: Child malnutrition, Family structure, Women's empowerment, Nutritional status, Karachi, Pakistan