Trends and determinants of underweight, overweight, and obesity among reproductive-age women in Pakistan from 2012-2018

Abstract

The rising incidence of undernutrition, overweight, and obesity, often known as the "double burden of malnutrition," poses serious threats to public health. Pakistan, the fifth most populous country globally and a lower-middle-income country faces a high rate of malnutrition due to urbanisation, epidemiological and nutritional transitions, as well as the impact of climate change. While several studies have documented the prevalence of undernutrition, overweight, and obesity among women of reproductive age, there is a lack of comprehensive studies to understand the trends and determinants of underweight, overweight, and obesity among reproductive-age women in Pakistan. This study aims to fill this gap by assessing the trends and determinants of underweight, overweight, and obesity among Pakistani women of reproductive age from 2012 to 2018. Between 2012 and 2018, the prevalence of underweight women dropped from 13.9% in 2012-13 to 8.5% in 2017-18, while overweight and obesity rates increased from 25.2% to 30.4% and 15% to 21.8%, respectively. Women working in agriculture and manual labour were positively associated with underweight compared with those who were not working (RRR = 1.65; 95% CI: 1.25, 2.16), while older women (35-49 years) had a lower risk of underweight compared with younger women (15-24 years, RRR = 0.52; 95% CI: 0.37, 0.73). In a similar dataset, women who resided in the Northern Region were less likely to be underweight compared with those who were from the Eastern Region (RRR = 0.49; 95% CI: 0.35, 0.70). In addition, women from rich-income households were at higher risk of being overweight compared with those from poor-income households (RRR = 2.37; 95% CI: 1.86, 3.02), while women engaged in agricultural or manual labour had a lower risk of overweight (RRR = 0.75; 95% CI: 0.58, 0.98) compared with non-working women. Similarly, women who resided in the Northern Region were at high risk of being overweight compared with those who were from the Eastern Region (RRR = 1.82; 95% CI: 1.49, 2.23). Those working in agriculture and manual labour were less likely at risk of being obese compared with those who were not working (RRR = 0.51; 95% CI: 0.36, 0.72), while older women (35-49 years) had a higher risk of obesity compared with younger women (RRR = 6.19; 95% CI:4.39, 8.72). Women who resided in the Northern Region were more likely to be obese compared with those who were from the Eastern Region (RRR = 1.60; 95% CI: 1.27, 2.02).

Date of Award	2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Western Sydney University
Supervisor	Amit Arora (Supervisor)