DUAL BURDEN OF UNDERWEIGHT AND OVERWEIGHT AMONG ADULT WOMEN OF SUB-URBAN AREAS OF WEST BENGAL, INDIA

Abstract

Background: Socioeconomic status (SES) plays an important role in constructing dietary pattern and developing obesity in the community, particularly among women in developing countries. This study aimed to assess the impact of SES on nutritional status and dietary intake among adult women.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study study was conducted among adult women residing in Burdwan and Howrah districts of West Bengal, India. The SES of the participants was evaluated following modified Kuppuswami socio-economic status scale. Data were collected on anthropometric measurements and dietary intake. Nutritional status was determined based on the World Health Organization (WHO) cut off points for underweight, overweight and central obesity (CO). Statistical significance was set at a p<0.05.

Results: The mean weight, height, and BMI of participants were 50.38 ± 8.90 kg, 150.83 ± 5.35 cm, and 22.09 ± 3.45 kg/m², respectively. The prevalence of underweight and overweight was 18.18% and 17.53%, respectively. Overweight was most common among the participants of upper-middle socioeconomic class (33.33%), followed by lower-middle (29.73%) and upper-lower (10.10%) socioeconomic class, while underweight was prevalent among the participants from upper lower socioeconomic class (22.22%). CO assessed by WHR was highest in the upper-middle socioeconomic class (50.00%), followed by the upper-lower (35.35%) and lower-middle (35.14%) socioeconomic class. Although differences in mean energy intake among SES groups were not statistically

significant (F=1.395; p>0.05), carbohydrate intake (F=8.460; p<0.001), protein intake (F=31.066; p<0.001), and fat intake (F=23.723; p<0.001) showed significant variation across groups.

Conclusion: The study showed a significant socioeconomic variation in dietary intake and nutritional status among adult women. Higher SES was associated with greater protein and fat intake, while lower SES groups exhibited higher carbohydrate consumption. This is reflected in the prevalence of obesity and CO. These findings underscore the need for large scale nutritional education to combat malnutrition in the society.