HOUSEHOLD HEADSHIP AND NUTRITIONAL-STATUS - FEMALE-HEADED VERSUS MALEDUAL-HEADED HOUSEHOLDS/

Approximately one-third of all poor urban households in Latin America are headed by females. This study compares the nutritional status of w omen and children from female-headed (FHH) and male/dual headed (MHH/D HH) households in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods in Call, Co lombia. Data collected included socioeconomic indicators, anthropometr ic dimensions, dietary intake, and interviews documenting household co mposition. Classification of household headship was based on the ackno wledged head and the primary economic provider of the household. Of th e households in this study, 81 (80%) were from MHH/DHHs and 20 (20%) f rom FHHs. FHHs had fewer material possessions and lived in houses made of less expensive materials compared to MHH/DHHs. However, there were no significant differences in the nutritional status of women or chil dren in FHHs vs MHH/DHHs. Most women had BMIs within the normal range (19-29 kg/m(2)). The majority of children (95%) had weight-for-height z-scores within +/-2 of the NCHS references. These results suggest tha t while FHHs in Call were economically poorer, the women studied appea red to have had access to sufficient food sources for themselves and t heir children. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.