Early Marriage and Child Malnutrition in India: A Comprehensive Analysis and Policy Implications

This study explores the link between early marriage and child malnutrition in India using data from the National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5), conducted between 2019 and 2021. It uses a recursive bivariate probit model to study how early marriage affects child nutrition, focusing on the Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF) as a key measure of undernutrition.The results show that children born to women who were married at an early age are more likely to suffer from malnutrition compared to those born to women who married as adults. Poor reproductive health among women married early is also strongly linked to higher child malnutrition. Other important factors contributing to poor nutrition include short birth intervals (less than 24 months), maternal underweight, and fewer years of schooling for mothers—all of which are more common among women who married early. Based on these findings, the study highlights the urgent need for policies that aim to reduce early marriage and improve reproductive health services. These actions are essential to improve the nutritional status of children under five in India and should be a top priority at both the national and state levels.