Why Are Hindu Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Children Still at Higher Risk of Anthropometric Failure Than Upper‐Caste Children in India? A Chronological Analysis, 2005–06 to 2019–21

ABSTRACT Background and Objectives Caste division and socioeconomic deprivation among marginalized communities in Indian Hindu society, since the pre‐independence period, necessitate further investigation into the inequality in undernutrition prevalence between upper caste (UC) and marginalized children. This study aims to estimate the gap in overall undernutrition prevalence between UC and Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) children in traditional Hindu society from 2005 to 2021. Additionally, it seeks to quantify the contributions of various factors—including child, maternal, household, and regional backgrounds—in explaining the gap of undernutrition between UC and marginalized children over the past 15 years. Methods The study employed three rounds of the National Family Health Survey Data (NFHS‐3, 4, and 5) and estimated the prevalence of undernutrition using the Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF). The Fairlie decomposition method was utilized to estimate persisting inequality and quantified contributions of different background variables in explaining the inequality between UC and SC/ST children in the prevalence of CIAF. Results Although the CIAF gap between Hindu UC and SC/ST children has declined from 2005–2006 to 2019–2021, it remains substantial, falling from 19.28% to 14.67% points between Hindu UC and SC, and from 22.46% to 18.42% points between Hindu UC and ST from 2005–2006 to 2019–2021. The influence of background variables in explaining the CIAF gap between Hindu UC and SC/ST children has declined from 2005–2006 to 2019–2021, indicating an increasing impact of unmeasured determinants over time. This study also highlights the substantial roles of household socioeconomic status, maternal education, household WASH conditions, child anemia levels, and birth order in explaining the CIAF gap between Hindu UC and SC/ST children over the past decade. Conclusions The outcome of the study suggests interventians to reduce socioeconomic inequality between UC and SC/ST sections and adequate measures to improve mothers' education level, household WASH conditions, and childhood anemia among marginalized sections for reducing inter‐group differences in the prevalence of childhood undernutrition in India.