Factors associated with underweight and overweight prevalence among children in Bangladesh

Background

Bangladesh is not excluded from the global issue of children being underweight or overweight. This study examined the relationship between underweight, overweight, and sociodemographic variables in children.

Methods

Data from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2019 were used for this study. We employed chi-square and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests to identify significant variables. Subsequently, we fitted a multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression model and reported odds ratios (OR), confidence intervals (CI), and p-values. STATA version 17 was used for analysis.

Results

The sample size for our study consisted of 10,875 Bangladeshi children under five years of age. From a total of 10,875 children, 20.57% were underweight and 6.80% were overweight. Data were available for 8858 rural and 2017 urban under-five children. The prevalence of underweight was greatly influenced by age, and in rural regions, it consistently increased from 12 months to 59 months. Male children were more likely to be overweight and underweight than female children. Children in the Sylhet division were likelier to be underweight and overweight. Educated mothers reduce the risk of underweight children in urban and rural areas. The richest family children were more likely to be overweight in urban areas. In rural areas, children born with a smaller size were more likely to become underweight and less likely to become overweight.

Conclusions

Our research revealed that the poorest sociodemographic category, the Sylhet division, small newborns, and illiterate mothers were the most vulnerable to child weight problems.