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Effect of caste on health, independent of economic disparity: evidence from school children of two rural districts of India
Author(s) -
Dutta Ambarish,
Mohapatra Mrinal Kar,
Rath Mrunalini,
Rout Sarit Kumar,
Kadam Shridhar,
Nallalla Srinivas,
Balagopalan Kavitha,
Tiwari Divya,
Yunus Shariqua,
Behera Binod Kumar,
Patro Binod Kumar,
Mangaraj Manaswini,
Sahu Suchanda,
Paithankar Pradnya
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
sociology of health and illness
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1467-9566
pISSN - 0141-9889
DOI - 10.1111/1467-9566.13105
Subject(s) - caste , absenteeism , socioeconomic status , demography , inequality , tribe , socioeconomics , medicine , psychology , sociology , political science , population , social psychology , mathematics , mathematical analysis , anthropology , law
Caste, a stratifying axis of the Indian society, is associated with wealth and health. However, to what extent caste‐based health inequality is explained by wealth disparities, is not clear. Therefore, we aimed to examine the caste‐based differences in anaemia (haemoglobin < 11 gm/dl) and self‐reported sickness absenteeism in schoolchildren and the mediating role of economic disparity. Students (n = 1764) were surveyed from 54 government schools of Dhenkanal and Angul, Odisha state. Socioeconomic data, anaemia and absenteeism were recorded. The relative risks of anaemia among Scheduled Tribe (least advantaged) and Scheduled Caste (second least advantaged) students were 1.19 (95% CI : 1.08, 1.26) and 1.13 (1.03, 1.20), respectively, as compared to students of the most advantaged caste and that for sickness absenteeism were 2.78 (2.03, 3.82) and 2.84 (2.13, 3.78); p < 0.05, with marginal attenuation when controlled for inter‐caste economic disparities. Caste had an independent effect on anaemia and sickness absenteeism in school children, unexplained by inter‐caste economic disparities.