Abstract
Background:Rising prevalence of overweight/obesity (OWOB) alongside persistent micronutrient deficiencies suggests many women face concomitant OWOB and undernutrition.Objectives:We aimed to 1) describe the prevalence of the double burden of malnutrition (DBM) among nonpregnant women of reproductive age, defined as intraindividual OWOB and either ≥1 micronutrient deficiency [micronutrient deficiency index (MDI) > 0; DBM-MDI] or anemia (DBM-anemia); 2) test whether the components of the DBM were independent; and 3) identify factors associated with DBM-MDI and DBM-anemia.Methods:With data from 17 national surveys spanning low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and high-income countries from the Biomarkers Reflecting Inflammation and Nutritional Determinants of Anemia project (n = 419 to n = 9029), we tested independence of over- and undernutrition using the Rao–Scott chi-square test and examined predictors of the DBM and its components using logistic regression for each survey.Results:Median DBM-MDI was 21.9% (range: 1.6%–39.2%); median DBM-anemia was 8.6% (range: 1.0%–18.6%). OWOB and micronutrient deficiencies or anemia were independent in most surveys. Where associations existed, OWOB was negatively associated with micronutrient deficiencies and anemia in LMICs. In 1 high-income country, OWOB women were more likely to experience micronutrient deficiencies and anemia. Age was consistently positively associated with OWOB and the DBM, whereas the associations with other sociodemographic characteristics varied. Higher socioeconomic status tended to be positively associated with OWOB and the DBM in LMICs, whereas in higher-income countries the association was reversed.Conclusions:The independence of OWOB and micronutrient deficiencies or anemia within individuals suggests that these forms of over- and undernutrition may have unique etiologies. Decision-makers should still consider the prevalence, consequences, and etiology of the individual components of the DBM as programs move towards double-duty interventions aimed at addressing OWOB and undernutrition simultaneously.
Highlights
Until recently, efforts in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to improve the nutrition of women of reproductive age (WRA) largely focused on undernutrition [1]
Evidence has emerged showing that overweight/obesity (OWOB) prevalence exceeds that of underweight among WRA in most LMICs [2, 3]
Leveraging data from population-based surveys of micronutrient status, our objectives were to 1) describe the prevalence of the double burden of malnutrition (DBM) among nonpregnant WRA, defined as intraindividual OWOB and either micronutrient deficiency index (MDI) > 0 (DBM-MDI; OWOB and ≥1 micronutrient deficiency) or anemia (DBM-anemia); 2) test whether the components of the DBM, using a range of definitions, were independent; and 3) identify factors associated with DBM-MDI and DBM-anemia among WRA to guide intervention targeting
Summary
Efforts in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to improve the nutrition of women of reproductive age (WRA) largely focused on undernutrition [1]. Rising prevalence of overweight/obesity (OWOB) alongside persistent micronutrient deficiencies suggests many women face concomitant OWOB and undernutrition. Objectives: We aimed to 1) describe the prevalence of the double burden of malnutrition (DBM) among nonpregnant women of reproductive age, defined as intraindividual OWOB and either ≥1 micronutrient deficiency [micronutrient deficiency index (MDI) > 0; DBM-MDI] or anemia (DBM-anemia); 2) test whether the components of the DBM were independent; and 3) identify factors associated with DBM-MDI and DBM-anemia. OWOB was negatively associated with micronutrient deficiencies and anemia in LMICs. In 1 high-income country, OWOB women were more likely to experience micronutrient deficiencies and anemia.
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