| dc.description.abstract | Background
Overweight and obesity are a particular concern for women of reproductive age. They not
only increase the risk of chronic diseases but they are also associated with adverse perina-
tal, neonatal, infant and child outcomes. The objective of this study was to examine the
trend of overweight and obesity among Bangladeshi women of reproductive age between
2004 and 2014.
Method
This is a secondary data analysis of the 2004, 2007, 2011 and 2014 Bangladesh Demo-
graphic and Health Surveys (BDHS). We determined the age standardized prevalence of
overweight and obesity of women aged 15–49 years, who had their weight and height mea-
sured. Overweight and obesity were determined using the Asian specific BMI cut-offs
criteria.
Result
The prevalence of overweight increased from 11.4% [95% CI: 10.4to 12.5] in 2004 to 25.2%
[95% CI: 24.0 to 26.4] in 2014. The prevalence of obesity increased from 3.5% [95% CI:
3.0to4.2] to 11.2% [95% CI: 10.1to12.5%] over the same period of time. This was seen in all
age groups. However, the greatest increase was observed in women aged 35 to 49 years.
The highest prevalence of overweight and obesity were observed in those women with the
highest education level and wealth, larger family size, living in urban areas and not being in
paid employment.
Conclusion
The prevalence of overweight and obesity among women of reproductive age in Bangladesh
is high and increasing. We speculate that this has the potential to jeopardize the improvements that have been made in maternal and infant health over the last two decades.
Evidence based prevention strategies are required to address this serious public health
issue. | en_US |
