National Social Investment Programmes in Nigeria:A Descriptive Analysis of the Socio-Economic Contributions of N-Power Programme in Benue State

This study analysed the socio-economic contributions of N-Power programme amongst the beneficiaries of the scheme in Benue State.Prior to the introduction of N-Power programme,successive administrations in Nigeria have made concerted efforts towards improving the standard of living of the citizenry through the execution of various welfare or social intervention programmes,but not much successes were recorded.Learning from the mistakes of the past regimes,and by way of deliberate state policy,the Buhari’s government initiated a multi-pronged social investment policy,one of which is the N-power programme that came onboard in 2016,which also doubles as the subject of this study.To achieve the goal of this study,a combination of desktop research and survey design was employed.Questionnaires were administered to 390 respondents through a combination of stratified and random sampling techniques.The results of the survey were matched with that of the secondary data obtained through online websites and other related sources.The result indicated that N-Power made positive contributions to the socio-economic life of the beneficiaries in Benue State:specifically,the scheme contributed in poverty eradication,employment generation,skills acquisitions and capacity building.However,some aspect of our findings revealed that the programme has a number of challenges such as:inadequate cash support,delay in monthly cash transfer to beneficiaries,distance participants had to move to their work stations,absence of posting in N-Teach scheme,and lack of adequate working tools amongst others.To salvage this problem the paper recommended the following solutions:expansion of the scheme to cover N-Teach and other aspects,increment in the monthly cash transfer to cushion the high rate of inflation,support for the participants/beneficiaries in transportation and logistics,enrolment of more youth into the various schemes,proper monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the schemes amongst others.

Go-Ahead Element of Domestic Architecture:Socio-Economic and Cultural Characteristics of the Residents in Benin

The domestic architecture of a traditional settlement is greatly influenced by the socio-economic and socio-cultural characteristics of its residents.Benin City which is the focus of the paper is a case of a traditional settlement undergoing domestic architectural evolution with the changing times influenced by factors of growth and development.The paper has examined the effect of socio-economic and socio-cultural characteristics as factors that partly determine the design,style,pattern,space use,organization,location and meaning as well as land use of the domestic architecture of Benin.The study employed the use of questionnaire administered to residents across the cross-section of the city.In the end,descriptive frequency tables were used to analyse the data collected from the residential zones in Benin.The research has been able to corroborate the theory that socio-economic and socio-cultural factors are some of the determinants/elements of domestic architecture of a people.

Research on the Interactive Impact of Transportation Systems on Socio-Economic Development

This paper aims to explore the interactive impact between transportation systems and socio-economic development,employing Structural Equation Modeling(SEM)to analyze data from 31 provincial-level administrative regions in China from 2013 to 2022.It comprehensively considers key indicators from the economic,social,and transportation sectors.The paper constructs a model encompassing 5 latent variables and 15 observed variables.Through in-depth analysis,it reveals the promoting role of transportation systems on economic growth and social development,as well as the demand for transportation system construction and optimization driven by socio-economic development levels.The results indicate that an efficient transportation system can not only directly drive economic growth but also indirectly promote social development by improving social welfare and enhancing quality of life.This paper provides new insights into understanding the complex relationship between transportation systems and socio-economic development and holds significant implications for policymakers in optimizing transportation infrastructure to foster economic and social development.

Socio-Economic and Technical Characteristics of Beef Cattle Breeding in Ndé Division, West Region of Cameroon

Insight is here provided into the socio-economic and technical characteristics of cattle production in the Ndé Division (West Cameroon region). Using a semi-structured questionnaire, information on the activity was assessed following onsite visits and interviewing breeders. Through a random sampling scheme, 110 breeders in the four subdivisions of the Ndé Division were shadowed. The majority (98.18%) of breeders were men aged 20 to 40 and married (91.82%). They belong to the Mbororo ethnic group, having cumulated more than 10 years in the activity. Most respondents (50.91%) did not attend school and earn their living mainly from livestock (78.18%). Cattle were raised for sale and to feed the breeder’s family (77.27%). The main mode of acquisition of animals was through inheritance (81.82%). The cattle breeds were mostly made up of white Fulani (70%), living in private farms using a combination of stake and barbed wires (67.27%) as fences. The combination of natural fodder and cooking salt was used by most breeders (59.09%) as a daily ration. Reproduction was by natural mating (97.07%). Parasites (internal and external) and foot-and-mouth disease were the main diseases reported by the majority of farmers. Self-treatment (50%) was the main prophylactic measure taken by farmers in case of disease symptoms. Cattle herders faced several challenges, such as insufficient pasture (67.27%), agro-pastoral conflicts (76.36%) and diseases (90.91%). Cattle breeding was rather a widespread activity with no particular restriction.

Socio-Economic Characteristics of Three Artisanal Fisheries Communities in the Northern Sudanese Red Sea Coast

Socio-economic characteristics related to fishing gears and boats from three selected small-scale fishers’ communities (Oseif, Dungonab and Mohammed Qol) in the northern part of the Sudanese Red Sea coast were studied. The study was designed to provide base line data and information on the current socio-economic situation, factors that determine the use of fishing gear, types of boats and fishing equipment, challenges facing fishers and the extent to which fishing gear and boats are related with the socio-economic characteristics of the fishers community in the study sites. Fieldwork was carried out during 2016. The study methods included a series of interviews based on questionnaires, field observations and focus group discussions. The results of the study showed that the most common fishing gears are handlines, cast nets and gillnets. The two types of boats used at the study sites are motorized fiberglass and houri (motorized and paddled) with a V-shaped hull. Boat ownership varies among fishers. Each fisher can have several types of gears in different numbers. Target fish species, season, efficiency of gear and fishing location were the main factors determining the use of fishing gear at study sites, respectively. All fishers are men and most have families of at least four people. The majority of fishers are between 21 and 50 years old and work mainly in fishing. They inherited fishing knowledge within the family, and most of them have been working in artisanal fishing for more than 10 years. Fishers have relatively good net incomes compared to other government employers in the study sites. Most fishers work full time in fishing. A small number of fishers work part-time with the possibility of undertaking other income-generating activities such as animal husbandry and seasonal agriculture. The main challenges identified by fishers at the study sites were fish prices, sea surface roughness and high cost of fishing materials, respectively. Most fishers perceived a recent decline in both catch size and abundance.

ECOLOGICAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC REHABILITATION IN THE KARST OF SOUTHWEST CHINA

The Karst of Southwest China is a typical representative of poverty stricken region with impoverishment-degradation spiral. To essentially break away from this vicious circle, the local ecology, economy and society should be rehabilitated, and hence to strengthen the self-development capacity building of the localities. Two considerations are stressed in this article: (1) Poverty alleviation is a system project with great complexities. Any single approach is difficult to success and integrated measures should be taken. (2) Some typical and feasible areas should be selected to demonstrate the project of poverty alleviation and ecological, socio-economic reconstruction. Then, they can be used as a model to promote the sustainable development of the whole region. Based upon these ideals, a project entitled “Reversal of Impoverishment-Degradation Spiral in the Karst of Southwest China' was proposed and has been listed in 《Priority Programme for China's Agenda 21》.

Research progress of socio-economic water cycle in China

China has made great progress in the study of socio-economic water cycle. She has completed national water resources appraisement and medium to long-term water supply planning. She has been engaging in study on water-deficient regions in North China and Northwest China for about half a century. For solving water shortage problem in northern China, she has put forward the famous South-to-North Water Transferring Projects, which has been set as one of the four biggest national projects in the Tenth Five-Year-Plan period although there are still debates. For promoting water use efficiency, China has been reforming her water management system, including water right system and water price system. There has already been a case of water right purchase. China has also done a lot of research on the interaction between human activity, water and ecosystem. For meeting the need of sustainability and coordinating water resources development and environmental protection, the study of ecological water requirement became very hot in recent years. There are three focuses of socio-economic water cycle study now in China: water transfer projects from the south to the north, water resources management and ecological water requirement.

Influence of Climate and Socio-Economic Factors on the Spatio-Temporal Variability of Soil Organic Matter: A Case Study of Central Heilongjiang Province, China

For the scientific management of farmland, it is significant to understand the spatio-temporal variability of soil organic matter and to study the influences of related factors. Using geostatistical theory, GIS spatial analysis, trend analysis and a Geographically Weighted Regression （GWR） model, this study analyzed the response of soil organic matter to climate and socio-economic factors in central Heilongjiang Province during the past 25 years. Second soil survey data of China for 1979-1985, 2005 field sampling data, climate observations and socio-economic data for 1980-2005 were analyzed. First, soil organic matter in 2005 was spatially interpolated using the Co-Kriging method along with auxiliary data sets of soil type and pH. The spatio-temporal variability was then studied by comparison with the 1980s second soil census data. Next, the temporal trends in climate and socio-economic factors over the past 25 years were investigated. Finally, we examined the variation of the response of soil organic matter to climate and socio-economic factors using the GWR model spatially and temporally. The model showed that 53.82% area of the organic matter content remained constant and 29.39% has decreased during the past 25 years. The impact of precipitation on organic matter content is mainly negative, with increasing absolute values of the regression coefficient. The absolute value of regression coefficient of annual average temperature has decreased, and more areas are now under its negative effects. In addition, the areas of positive regression coefficient of annual sunshine hours have northward shifted, with the increasing absolute value of positive coefficient and decreasing absolute value of negative coefficient. The areas of positive regression coefficient of mechanized farming as a socio-economic factor have westward shifted, with the increasing absolute value of negative coefficient and decreasing absolute value of positive coefficient. The area of regions with the positive regression coefficient of irrigation has expanded. The regions with positive regression coefficient of fertilizer use have shrinked. The positive regression coefficient of mulch film consumption has significantly increased. The regression coefficient of pesticide consumption was mainly positive in the west of the study area, while it was negative to the east. Generally, GWR model is capable to investigate the influence of both climatic and socio-economic factors, avoided the insufficiency of other research based on the single perspective of climatic or socio-economic factors. Therefore, we can conclude that GWR model could provide methodological support for global change research and serve as basic reference for cultivated land quality improvement and agricultural decision making.

Integrate ecosystem services into socio-economic development to enhance achievement of sustainable development goals in the post-pandemic era

The COVID-19 pandemic has stalled and rolled back progress on Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs).Ecosys-tem services(ESs),defined as the contributions of ecosystems to human well-being,underpin the achievement of SDGs.To promote SDG achievement in post-pandemic era,we teased out the links between ESs and SDGs while examining the impact of COVID-19.We found that ESs benefited all SDGs,yet man-made pressures led to degra-dation of ecosystems and their services.There is broad consensus that the virus lurks in degraded ecosystems and generates spillover due to human interference.The pandemic and global lockdown/restriction disrupted the flow of ESs and altered human ESs demand,threatening the efforts for the SDGs.We suggested:1)to study the association and traceability of ESs-SDGs under the pandemic;2)to prioritize pressing issues such as health care,livelihood,and resource security and in the long run,we should promote human-nature harmony to achieve the SDGs;and 3)to enhance ESs and to promote the SDGs through local community efforts,ESs accounting,and ecosystem restoration.This paper provides insights into the importance of ESs to the SDGs and the ways to integrate ESs into socio-economic development to promote the SDG achievement after the pandemic.

LAND USE CHANGE AND ITS SOCIO-ECONOMIC DRIVING FORCES UNDER STRESS OF PROJECT IN OLD RESERVOIR AREA——Case Study of Linshui Reservoir Area of Dahonghe Reservoir in Sichuan Province

The old reservoir areas built in 1950s- 1970s left behind many socio-economic problems, because of the administrative backward migration and little migration fund, and all these problems would be tied to land. Based on interviewing with peasant households, combining land use survey and socio-economic statistical index, this paper analyzed land use change and its corresponding driving forces in Linshui reservoir area of Dahonghe Reservoir. Results showed that land use change in the reservoir area was mainly embodied on low-lying land submergence and migration requisition land. The former changed the land use patterns, and the latter mainly reconstructed original land property and made land over-fragmented. Cultivated land per capita was 0.041ha in this area, below the cordon of cultivated land per capita enacted by FAO. Currently, there were still 30.25% of peasant households being short of grain in trimester of one year, and there were 35.27% of people living under the poverty line. The conditions of eco-environmerit in Linshui Reservoir Area were worse, and healthy and sub-healthy eco-environment accounted for less proportion, composed of green belt around the reservoir area and paddy field ecosystem, and economic forest and orchard ecosystem, respectively. The stress of the reservoir project was macroscopic background to analyze the driving factors of land use change, and real underlying diving factor of the land use change in the area was the change of cultural landscape under the stress of reservoir project. The rapid increase of population was the key factor to induce the change of man-land relationship in the reservoir area, the low level of rural economy was the crucial factor to decide how migrants input for production, and the belief of migrants, influencing the land use patterns in a certain extent, was the inducing factor to keep land use stable. The low-lying submergence and infrastructure construction accompanied the reservoir project were leading factors driving land use change in the area, while changes in land use patterns, after the reservoir being built, were the responses of peasant households＇ behaviors to land use change.

Socio-economic and Psychosocial Determinants of Smoking and Passive Smoking in Older Adults

Objective To determine the associations of socio-economic and psychosocial factors with active and passive smoking in older adults. Methods Using a standard interview method, we examined random samples of 6071 people aged 〉 60 years in 5 provinces of China during 2007-2009. Results World age-standardised prevalence for current and former smoking in men was 45.6% and 20.5%, and in women 11.1% and 4.5%. Current smoking reduced with older age but increased with men, low socioeconomic status （SES）, alcohol drinking, being never-married, pessimistic and depressive syndromes. Former smoking was associated with men, secondary school education, a middle-high income, being a businessman, being widowed, less frequencies of visiting children/relatives and friends, and worrying about children. Among 3774 never-smokers, the prevalence of passive smoking was 31.5%, and the risk increased with women, low SES, alcohol drinking, being married, having a religious believe, and daily visiting children/relatives. There were sex differences in the associations, and an interaction effect of education and income on smoking and passive smoking. Conclusion Older Chinese had a higher level of smoking and passive smoking than those in high income countries, reflecting China＇s failures in controlling smoking. The associations with low SES and different psychosocial aspects and sex differences suggest preventative strategies for active and passive smoking.

Socio-economic status and lifestyle factors are associated with achalasia risk: A population-based case-control study

AIM: To evaluate the association between various lifestyle factors and achalasia risk.METHODS: A population-based case-control study was conducted in Northern Ireland, including n = 151 achalasia cases and n = 117 age- and sexmatched controls. Lifestyle factors were assessed via a face-to-face structured interview. The association between achalasia and lifestyle factors was assessed by unconditional logistic regression, to produce odds ratios(OR) and 95% confidence interval(CI).RESULTS: Individuals who had low-class occupations were at the highest risk of achalasia(OR = 1.88, 95%CI: 1.02-3.45), inferring that high-class occupation holders have a reduced risk of achalasia. A history of foreign travel, a lifestyle factor linked to upper socioeconomic class, was also associated with a reduced risk of achalasia(OR = 0.59, 95%CI: 0.35-0.99). Smoking and alcohol consumption carried significantly reduced risks of achalasia, even after adjustment for socio-economic status. The presence of pets in the house was associated with a two-fold increased risk of achalasia(OR = 2.00, 95%CI: 1.17-3.42). Nochildhood household factors were associated with achalasia risk.CONCLUSION: Achalasia is a disease of inequality, and individuals from low socio-economic backgrounds are at highest risk. This does not appear to be due to corresponding alcohol and smoking behaviours. An observed positive association between pet ownership and achalasia risk suggests an interaction between endotoxin and viral infection exposure in achalasia aetiology.

Research of the Socio-economic Development in Dalian Chengshantou Nature Reserve

For the purpose of accommodating the relationship between the protection of nature reserve and the development of local society and economy,this paper,taking Dalian Chengshantou Nature Reserve as a study area and PRA as a main research method,investigated and analyzed the status of social and economical development and the existing problems in the study area. The result shows that: the contradictory between the protection of nature reserve and the local development of social and economical activities are still prominent,and the principle of " integration of protection and reasonable development" proposed by the general plan of nature reserve has not reached the expected result.Therefore,further efforts should be made firstly to accommodating relationship between the protection of nature reserve and the local development activities,secondly to accelerating the development of eco-tourism and the relevant service industries in accordance with the local practical situations,and finally to promoting the sustainable development of both the protection of nature reserve and the local society and economy.

Spatial Patterns of Car Sales and Their Socio-economic Attributes in China

Using data from the Economic Advisory Center of the State Information Center(SIC), we examined the spatial patterns of car sales in China at the prefectural level in 2012. We first analyzed the spatial distributions of car sales of different kinds of automakers(foreign automakers, Sino-foreign joint automakers, and Chinese automakers), and then identified spatial clusters using the local Moran's indexes. Location quotient analysis was applied to examine the relative advantage of each type of automaker in the local markets. To explain the variations of car sales across cities, we collected several socioeconomic variables and conducted regression analyses. Further, factor analysis was used to extract independent variables to avoid the problem of multicollinearity. By incorporating a spatial lag or spatial error in the models, we calibrated our spatial regression models to address the spatial dependence problem. The analytical results show that car sales varied significantly across cities in China, and most of the cities with higher car sales were the developed cities. Different automakers exhibit diverse spatial patterns in terms of car sales volume, spatial clusters, and location quotients. The scale and incomes factor were extracted and verified as the two most significant and positive factors that shape the spatial distributions of car sales, and together with the spatial effect, explained most of the variations of car sales across cities.

ANALYSIS ON LAND-USE CHANGE AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC DRIVING FACTORS IN H AINAN ISLAND DURING 50YEARS FROM 1950TO 1999

Land-use change is an important part of global change research(IGBP,1990-1992).But the majority of researches focus on the natural dr iving force of land use change.In thi s paper,the authors studied the rela tionship be-tween socio-economic driving facto rs and land-use change with time series in Hainan Island.Based on the stud y for the evolution of administrative system and policies in Hainan Island and the comprehensive analysis on the socia l economy da-ta and changes of social policies,th e socio-economic policies,human activities and land use of Hainan can be divided into three periods with different ch aracters:period from1950to 1978ch aracterized by the planning economi c system,peri-od from 1978to 1988characterized by the transfer of economic system and a doption of open policy,new stage fro m 1988to 1998with high growing speed.On th e other hand the authors describe the character of the periods and land-use change process affected by socio-economic factors.This paper provides an important method for evaluating the development and changes of Hainan social economy dur ing the 50years from 1950to 1999and f orecasting the development of Hainan so-cial economy in future.

Model based decision support system for land use changes and socio-economic assessments

Hydrological models are often linked with other models in cognate sciences to understand the interactions among climate, earth, water, ecosystem, and human society. This paper presents the development and implementation of a decision support system（DSS） that links the outputs of hydrological models with real-time decision making on social-economic assessments and land use management. Discharge and glacier geometry changes were simulated with hydrological model, water availability in semiarid environments. Irrigation and ecological water were simulated by a new commercial software MIKE HYDRO. Groundwater was simulated by MODFLOW. All the outputs of theses hydrological models were taken as inputs into the DSS in three types of links： regression equations, stationary data inputs, or dynamic data inputs as the models running parallel in the simulation periods. The DSS integrates the hydrological data, geographic data, social and economic statistical data, and establishes the relationships with equations, conditional statements and fuzzy logics. The programming is realized in C＋＋. The DSS has four remarkable features：（1） editable land use maps to assist decision-making;（2） conjunctive use of surface and groundwater resources;（3） interactions among water, earth, ecosystem, and humans; and（4） links with hydrological models. The overall goal of the DSS is to combine the outputs of scientific models, knowledge of experts, and perspectives of stakeholders, into a computer-based system, which allows sustainability impact assessment within regional planning; and to understand ecosystem services and integrate them into land and water management.

Influence of socio-economic status and environmental factors on serologically diagnosed Japanese encephalitis cases in the state of West Bengal, India during 2005-2010

Objectives: The main aim of the current study is to examine the influence of socio-economic status and environmental factors on serologically diagnosed Japanese encephalitis cases in the state of West Bengal, India during 2005-2010. Materials and methods: A total of 648 blood/CSF specimens were collected and/or referred from the suspected AES cases, admitted in the different medical colleges and hospitals of the state during the year of 2005-2010. These specimens were subjected to JE Mac ELISA to determine the actual JE case amongst these AES. The association of the socio-economic status and environmental factors with the serologically diagnosed JE positive cases was studied by a statistical analysis through Normal Deviate test or Z test. Result: Out of 648 specimens, only 175 (27.0%) specimens were reactive to JE IgM antibody, of which 60.0% were from the male individuals and 40.0% from the female population. Major cases were observed in the age group of 0 - 10 years;followed by 11 - 20 years. Regarding literacy, only 58.3% cases had no education and 41.7% were from the literate with varying level of education, i.e., from primary level to post gra- duate level. A total of 65.7% cases were from low income group where as only 34.3% cases were from high income group. Regarding house type, 62.3% cases lived in mud house and 37.7% cases lived in the brick house. In most of the cases (74.3%), persons were living in close proximity to rice fields/lakes/ponds. 69.7% cases were found to occur in the monsoon and post-monsoon period whereas 30.3% cases were reported in the pre-monsoon period. Conclusion: Our study concludes that socio-economic status and environmental conditions were statistically significant contextual risk factors for serologically diagnosed JE incidences in West Bengal where JE is proved to be endemic in nature and such study constitutes a new report of this kind in the region.

Analysis of Coordination between the Public Service in Rural Areas and Socio-economic Development——A Case Study of Sichuan Province

Taking Sichuan Province as an example,by using the overall evaluation function of Sichuan's rural public service equalization development level and rural socio-economic development level,we conduct profound analysis on coordination between public service in Sichuan's rural areas and socio-economic development from 2003 to 2008.The results show that the coordination between rural public service and socio-economic development in Sichuan Province is not high,and the equalization phenomenon of rural public service construction and socio-economic development is very prominent.The equalization development of public service in rural areas of Sichuan Province from 2003 to 2008 lags behind socio-economic development.The coordination between public service equalization system in rural areas of Sichuan Province and socio-economic development system abates continuously;the coordination between infrastructure and socio-economic development increases slowly;the coordination between education and socio-economic development declines sharply;the coordination between public culture and socio-economic development tends to decrease;the coordination between ecological environment construction and socio-economic development decreases continuously with great amplitude;the coordination between public health and socio-economic development decreases continuously;the coordination between science and technology and socio-economic development lingers at low level;the coordination between social security and employment,and socio-economic development increases in fluctuation,but with small amplitude.

Socio-Economic Drivers of Degradation and Their Implication on Conservation of River Lumi Riparian Ecosystem in Kenya

Riparian forests ecosystems play significant role in biodiversity conservation and provision of ecosystem goods and services which support local livelihoods. However, riparian ecosystems are threatened by degradation attributed to anthropogenic activities. Understanding the interaction between anthropogenic activities and socio-economic factors, and their associated impact on riparian degradation is essential for designing appropriate management strategies for these ecosystems. This study assessed the socio-economic factors that drive degradation and their implication on conservation of River Lumi riparian ecosystem. Semi-structured questionnaires, Focus Group Discussion (FGDs) and key informant interviews were used to collect the data. The findings indicate that crop farming and livestock production were the main sources of livelihood practiced by 84% and 70% of the households respectively. Consequently, agricultural intensification resulting from increased demand for agricultural commodities (33%), over-grazing coupled with influx of livestock from private ranches and neighbouring pastoralist Maasai community (20%), and deforestation fuelled by population increase (17%) were the main drivers of degradation in River Lumi riparian ecosystem. The findings indicate that about 91% of the adjacent communities are dependent on River Lumi for their sustenance and their livelihoods will be affected by continued degradation of the riparian ecosystem;thus there is need for development of appropriate management strategies including sustainable livelihood systems to conserve River Lumi riparian ecosystem.

Socio-economic determinants of underweight children in West Bengal,India

Objective:To study the extent of undernutrition at district level and the socio-economic determinants of underweight children aged 0-71 months in West Bengal.Methods:The data were accessed from the Reproductive and Child Health Survey(RCHS-II),which contained information of 7 SSO children and their parents.Information of socio-economic variables about the associated families of these children had also been taken for our study.This study computed weight-for-age z-scores to assess the nutritional status of the children using WHO(2006) reference.Results:The prevalence of underweight varied over the districts.Districts with very high prevalence of underweight children were Murshidabad,Burdwan,Purulia,Medinipur, Howrah and South 24 Parganas.High prevalent districts for both boys and girls were Jalpaiguri and Coochbihar.Low prevalent districts for both boys and girls were South Dinajpur,Nadia and Kolkata.The percentage of underweight children were more in rural areas among Muslim families with illiterate parents and low standard of living.In Murshidabad,Bankura,Nadia, Medinipur and South 24 Parganas districts,i.e.,where prevalence of underweight children were higher,the rural and urban differences were less.The characteristics like religion,parents’ educational status and standard of living index showed significant effect on the children’s weights.Conclusions:Public intervention programs on the parent’s education and the standard of living of the households at district level should be given high priority to combat the children’s undernutrition problems so far as weight for age is concerned.