Cebu City – Always known as “ilaw ng tahanan”, mothers are often given the responsibility of caring for their family’s health and nutrition. Recent studies show that maternal income can affect their family’s health and this article discusses how low socio-economic status is often correlated with limited food access and health literacies.

In areas of socio-economic disadvantage, mothers often have limited resources to provide enough food and nutrients for children which leads to malnutrition^[1]. Even if there is food available, there is no guarantee of the quality and quantity of food for the consumption of growing children in these areas. The situation is further aggravated by increased risks to diseases due to exposure to unsanitary environments. Children from these low-income families, not only have limited access to healthy food but to other health and sanitation facilities as well, are eleven times more at risk according to a study^[2].

Research also prove that a decreased risk of children having severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is attributed to mothers who are employed and have independent monthly income^[3].

Mothers with earning capacities have positive effects on their household food and nutrition security. When mothers have their own steady source of income, they are more likely to procure healthier food thereby decreasing the risks of the development of SAM. 

Further, mothers have associated development with better health and infrastructure and are more likely to prioritize sanitation facilities in their households once they have incomes of their own. Higher-income also gives mothers better influence on familial decisions and affords women a say on food distribution within the household^[4].

Ensuring that mothers have their own personal income is a nutrition-sensitive intervention that is part of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition 2023-2028.

That said, the National Nutrition Council Region VII urges local nutrition committees to adopt strategies to increase the income of mothers, especially those who are in marginalized communities as a way to address and prevent malnutrition.

Read more about women and how they affect health and nutrition of the community here. // NO III Nasudi G. Soluta, RND

^[1] Fagbamigbe AF, Kandala NB, Uthman OA. Decomposing the educational inequalities in the factors associated with severe acute malnutrition among under-five children in low- and middle-income countries. BMC Public Health. 2020 Dec;20(1):555. 

^[2] Dahal K, Yadav DK, Baral D, Yadav BK. Determinants of severe acute malnutrition among under 5 children in Satar community of Jhapa, Nepal. Hussain A, editor. PLoS ONE. 2021 Feb 3;16(2):e0245151. 

^[3] Hossain A, Niroula B, Duwal S, Ahmed S, Kibria MdG. Maternal profiles and social determinants of severe acute malnutrition among children under-five years of age: A case-control study in Nepal. Heliyon. 2020 May;6(5):e03849. 

^[4] Nisbett N, van den Bold M, Gillespie S, Menon P, Davis P, Roopnaraine T, et al. Community-level perceptions of drivers of change in nutrition: Evidence from South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Global Food Security. 2017 Jun;13:74–82.