Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Women’s empowerment is associated with maternal nutrition and low birth weight:  
Evidence from Bangladesh Demographic Health Sur vey 
 
Version: 0 Date: 14 Oct 2019  
 
Reviewer: Khurshed Alam  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
Women empowerment is a widely discussed issue and the study done by the authors is to some 
extent different from the earlier studies. The study is likely to come up with the obv ious result. 
Except two studies none gave any different findings. It is, in this sense, the present study adds 
very little to our knowledge except some statistical assessment of odd ratio and others.  
 
Is it expected that the low level of women empowerment going to have low level of malnutrition 
and low level of LBW? It is not. Is it not related to nutrition or balanced food rather than the 
empowerment? Is there level of knowledge considered here as source of power or 
empowerment?  
 
Is maternal malnutrition a  cause or effect? What cause maternal malnutrition?  Is it inadequate 
food, therefore, poverty or is it lack of knowledge about nutrition or what else? This is to be spelt 
out very clearly at the outset as part of the epistemological debate. Otherwise the paper only 
makes a simple empiricism rather than convincing the policy makers for taking necessary action. 
A spurious relation is shown in this paper. Empowered women have control over finance or 
reverse. It is in this sense the paper gives a wrong message  to the reader about women. 
Malnutrition is not alone cause due to non -empowerment of women. It generates from many 
other factors.   
 
Proposed WEI was prepared based on five indicators among which some are incomplete, for 
example, in rural BD (2) visit for shopping was not included; (3) NGO or other community 
organization's  membership;  spoil food; d and e have some similarity. Mobility has been used 
but not for shopping. So it should be in 'e' rather than 'd'. Why unemployed in line 163.  
 
Women's perceptio n as categorization of LBW can be considered as unscientific. The major 
problem with this paper is also that the confounder was not adequately captured? PCA is rightly 
done or not is to be confirmed.   
 
The study has followed a methodology which is to be ch ecked critically from the cause -effect 
point of view. It is associative rather than causative. However, the paper can be accepted.   
 
 
 
 
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, pl ease specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscr ipt or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I recommend additional statistical review  
 
Quality of written E nglish  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
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