Family structure dynamism over the life course and nutritional status in urban South Africa

Sangeetha Madhavan, University of Maryland
Shane Norris, University of the Witwatersrand
Linda M. Richter, Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa (HSRC)

Despite its status as the wealthiest country in sub-Saharan Africa, poor nutrition has long been a public health problem in South Africa, particularly for the African population. In this analysis, we draw on data from the Birth to Twenty + study in the greater Johannesburg metropolitan area to examine the relationship between dynamism in family structure over the life course of adolescents and their nutritional status at age 15. We use 2 different measures of family structural dynamism to model the influence of cumulative transitions over the life course on nutritional status. We employ multinomial logit models to predict the likelihood of being overweight or underweight and test the interaction effects of gender. Findings from this study will improve our understanding of family factors and nutrition and also contribute to the development of effective policies to ensure a health transition to adulthood in South Africa and elsewhere.