Measuring child poverty disparities in Francophone and Anglophone sub-Saharan Africa and assessing the poverty-mental health nexus in the region.

Abstract

ABSTRACT
Material deprivation affects children’s physical and mental health. This thesis offers a valuable perspective on the enduring effects of colonial legacies on child poverty and inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). It aims to produce comparative estimates of child poverty and inequality between Francophone and Anglophone Africa and examines its relationship with mental health.

The study utilised data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), educational data computations by Baro and Lee (2021), and the Gallup World Poll to answer the research questions. It estimated child poverty using UNICEF’s ‘Bristol Approach’, conceived by Gordon and colleagues in 2003. ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis models examined between-group differences in child poverty across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). By contrast, the difference measure (D) and relative and slope inequality indices (RII and SII) assessed within-group inequalities. The last part examined the relationship between food insecurity and mental health using a two-level logistic model controlling for country- and individual-level factors.

Child poverty estimates were similar between and within colonial origins in all dimensions and indicators, except for health and education. Francophone children were at higher risk of low vaccine uptake, low medical access, and not attending school (adult population) than their counterparts in Anglophone states. Similarly, socioeconomic inequalities in health and education access were wider within Francophone than within Anglophone states. Furthermore, food insecurity was a significant predictor of poor mental health experiences.
The findings suggest child poverty was widespread across SSA, irrespective of colonial origin, except in the health and education dimensions, which showed substantial variations. The performance of these sectors is shaped by their inherent colonial roots of centrally controlled structures that limit the supply of health and education services in poor communities. The study recommends decentralising Francophone states' health and education sectors to improve service delivery. Alleviating poverty, particularly food poverty, would improve the mental well-being of older children.

Date of Award	17 Jun 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bristol
Supervisor	Zoi Toumpakari (Supervisor) & David Gordon (Supervisor)