Tables 10.2 and 10.3 show a reduced form demand function for child nutritional
status based on weight for age and height for age as the dependent variables
respectively. The coefficients are estimated using least squares method, which
results in the smallest sum of squares differences between the observed and the
predicted values of the dependent variable. We estimate two models for weight
for age. In the first model, we include per capita expenditure on food as one of
the regressors to examine the impact of household income on underweight. In
the second model, we exclude the impact of income and examine the impact of
per capita calorie requirements on underweight. This is done in order to
determine if household food security independently affects child nutritional
status excluding the impact of income.