Clinical undernutrition in the Kingston/St Andrew metropolitan area: 1967–1976

Abstract

Information provided in patients' dockets at two hospitals in Kingston, Jamaica, was used to analyze the spatial distribution of undernutrition in the Kingston/St Andrew Metropolitan Area. Simple and stepwise multiple regression models were utilized incorporating measures of standard of living, infant feeding practices, family stability, unemployment of mothers, family size and age of mothers. Unemployment of mothers proved to be by far the most important variable, accounting for 87% of the variation. All others were relatively unimportant.