The prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity in Bangladeshi adults: Data from a national survey

Abstract

Background Over the two last decades Bangladesh, a low-income country, has experienced a rapid demographic and epidemiological transition. The population has increased substantially with rapid urbanization and changing pattern of disease, which at least in part, can be explained by nutritional changes. However, the nutritional status of the adult population has

not been previously described. Hence, the objective of this study was to estimate the preva- lence and explore socio-demographic determinants of underweight, overweight and obesity

among the Bangladeshi adult population. Methods This study is a secondary data analysis of the national 2011 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey. We determined the nutritional status of adults aged 35 years of age, who had a measured weight and height, using the Asian body mass index (BMI) cut-offs for underweight (BMI <18.5 kg/m2

), overweight (BMI 23 to <27.5 kg/m2

) and obesity (BMI

27.5 kg/m2

). Logistic regression modeling was used to determine the association between

socio-demographic factors and nutritional status. Result Of total sample (n = 5495), 30.4% were underweight, 18.9% were overweight and 4.6% were obese. Underweight was associated with age, education and wealth. The adjusted odd ratios for underweight were higher for older people (70 years) compared to younger,

the least educated compared to the most educated and the poorest compared to the wealth- iest were 2.51 (95%CI: 1.95–3.23, p<0.001), 3.59 (95%CI: 2.30–5.61, p<0.001) and 3.70

(95%CI: 2.76–4.96, p<0.001), respectively. Younger age (35–44 years), being female,

higher education, wealthier and living in urban areas were associated with overweight/obe- sity with adjusted odds ratios of 1.73 (95%CI: 1.24–2.41, p<0.001), 2.48 (95%CI: 1.87–3.28, p<0.001), 3.98 (95%CI: 2.96–5.33, p<0.001), 7.14 (95%CI: 5.20–9.81, p<0.001) 1.27 (95% CI: 1.05–1.55, p-0.02), respectively. Conclusion Underweight and overweight/obesity are prevalent in Bangladeshi adults. Both conditions are associated with increased morbidity and mortality and increase the risk of developing non-communicable diseases. Effective public health intervention approaches are necessary to address both these conditions.