Review on Factors Affecting the Nutritional Status of Women in Ethiopia

Abstract

Adequate nutritional status of women is important for good health and increased work capacity of women as well as for the health of their children. However under nutrition and poor health adversely affect the well-being of millions of people in the developing world. More than 3.5 million women and children less than five aged in developing countries died each year due to the underlying cause of under nutrition. The purpose of this article is to review the factors affecting the nutritional status of women in Ethiopia. Women are mostly venerable to malnutrion because of the intake of unbalanced foods due to low economic status, low education background, marital status and age. Women of the reproductive age are amongst the most vulnerable to malnutrition. Additionally place of women residence was one factor contributing to the nutritional variation between rural and urban women. There has been a variation between married and unmarried women in their nutritional status. The unmarried and divorced women had relatively high malnutrition problem than married one. However, this argument in the economic status of women is different. Whether the women have got married or unmarried, the economic status could be the cause of malnutrition if they are coming from low economic family. Therefore in order to have the women better understanding about nutritional status, they should be encouraged to attend nutrition education.