Context: Studies show there is a double burden of underweight and overweight in
Bangladesh amidst a global background of increasing rates of overweight in lowincome
settings.
Objective: The aim of this review was to determine the rates of change in the prevalence
of underweight and of overweight among Bangladeshi women of reproductive
age, to investigate whether there has been a shift from underweight to overweight
in this population, and, if a shift was documented, to identify potential determinants.
Data Sources: Data was obtained via electronic searches of the PubMed, CINAHL,
and Embase databases.
Study selection: Studies and survey reports were eligible for inclusion if they provided
data on the prevalence of underweight and of overweight among women of
reproductive age as well as sociodemographic information.
Data Synthesis: A meta-analysis was performed by reviewing data extracted from
the included studies. Using data from 5 successive national demographic and
health surveys, the average annual rates of change in underweight and in overweight
were calculated, along with their associations with potential determinants.
Conclusion: In Bangladesh, the prevalence of overweight exceeded that of underweight
in 2014. A higher average annual rate of reduction of underweight was
found among wealthier, highly educated, urban-living women, while a higher average
annual rate of increase of overweight was found among poorer, uneducated,
rural-living women. The shift in body mass index from underweight to overweight
was most positively associated with urban residence, age, higher socioeconomic
status, and higher education attainment.