Dual Nutrition Burden in Urban Women from Low Middle Income Families

Abstract

Currently India is experiencing dual nutrition burden. Prevalence of both under and over nutrition is reported to be higher in women as compared to men. Over time there has been substantial reduction in under-nutrition across all groups including lactating women and over-nutrition has emerged as a public health problem. A mixed longitudinal study was undertaken to assess nutritional status of urban non pregnant non lactatingwomen and to assess the impact of universal and prolonged lactation on nutritional statusfrom low middle income families. Between January 2015 to December 2017, 4155 non pregnant non lactating women and 2240 lactating women were enrolled for this observational study. They were living in highly congested urban localities in one or two room tenements and had no access to public spaces where they could go for a walk or discretionary physical activity. In all women height was measured at the time of enrollment. Efforts were made to record weight, mid upper arm circumference, waist and hip circumference once in a month for Lactating women of less than 11 month of duration of lactation and these measurements were taken once in three months for Lactating women from 11 month to 35.9 months of duration and for NPNL women. newlinePrevalence of under nutrition in NPNL women aged 18-29 group was 12.1% and 33.9% NPNL women had high BMI. There was a progressive increase in over nutrition, high waist and hip circumference with increasing age; 68.4% of women aged 50 years and above were over nourished. None of the under nourished women had high waist circumference. Among the normally nourished(8.5%) and in the over nourished women more than 75% had waist circumference above 80 cm. Hip circumference showed a similar trend but prevalence of high hip circumference was lower. newlineAs lactating women weighed less and had lower mean BMI, MUAC, HC and WC as compared to non-lactating women. Prevalence of under-nutrition was higher and over-nutrition was lower in lactating women as compared to non-lactating women. Prevalence of o