Trends of under- and overweight among rural and urban poor women indicate the double burden of malnutrition in Bangladesh

• Published in: International journal of epidemiology Vol. 36; no. 2; pp. 449 - 457
• Main Authors: Shafique, Sohana, Akhter, Nasima, Stallkamp, Gudrun, de Pee, Saskia, Panagides, Dora, Bloem, Martin W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01.04.2007; Oxford Publishing Limited (England)
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Anthropometry; Anthropometry - methods; Bangladesh - epidemiology; Bangladesh - ethnology; Biological and medical sciences; Body Mass Index; chronic energy deficiency; developing countries; Educational Status; Female; Humans; Malnutrition - complications; Malnutrition - epidemiology; Malnutrition - ethnology; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Obesity - complications; Obesity - epidemiology; Obesity - ethnology; Other nutritional diseases (malnutrition, nutritional and vitamin deficiencies...); Overweight; Prevalence; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Rural Health - standards; Rural Health - statistics & numerical data; Socioeconomic Factors; socioeconomic status; Thinness; Tropical medicine; Urban Health - standards; Urban Health - statistics & numerical data; Asia; Bangladesh; chronic energy deficiency; developing countries; overweight; socioeconomic status; Anthropometry; Human; Rural environment; Urban environment; Prevalence; Socioeconomic status; Deficiency; Body weight; Nutrition disorder; Developing countries; Corporal biometry; Epidemiology; Overweight; Adult; Female; Malnutrition; Public health; Social aspect
• ISSN: 0300-5771; 1464-3685
• DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyl306

Background Although undernutrition and communicable diseases dominate the current disease burden in resource-poor countries, the prevalence of diet related chronic diseases is increasing. This paper explores current trends of under- and overweight in Bangladeshi women. Method Nationally representative data on reproductive age women from rural Bangladesh (n = 2 42 433) and selected urban poor areas (n = 39 749) collected by the Nutritional Surveillance Project during 2000–2004 were analyzed. Results While the prevalence of chronic energy deficiency [CED, body mass index (BMI) < 18.5 kg/m2] continues to be major nutritional problem among Bangladeshi women (38.8% rural, 29.7% urban poor; P < 0.001), between 2000–2004, 9.1% of urban poor and 4.1% of rural women were overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2, P < 0.001). In addition, 9.8% of urban poor and 5.5% of rural women were found to be ‘at risk of overweight’ (BMI 23.0–<25 kg/m2). From 2000 to 2004, prevalence of CED decreased (urban poor: 33.8–29.3%; rural: 42.6–36.6%), while prevalence of overweight increased (urban poor: 6.8–9.1%; rural: 2.8–5.5%). The risk of being overweight was higher among women who were older and of higher socioeconomic status. Rural women with at least 14 years of education had a 8.1-fold increased risk of being overweight compared with non-educated women [95% confidence intervals (CI): 6.6−8.7]. Women living in houses of at least 1000 sqft (93 m2) were 3.7 times more likely to be overweight compared with women living in <250 sqft (23 m2) houses (95% CI: 3.2−4.3). Conclusion The recent increase in overweight prevalence among both urban poor and rural women, along with high prevalence of CED, indicates the emergence of a double burden of malnutrition in Bangladesh.