Women’s age at marriage and obesity in Pakistan

Abstract

Obesity is a growing public health concern, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where women face a disproportionate burden. In Pakistan, over half of adult women are overweight or obese. While socio-economic and demographic factors associated with obesity have been widely studied, less is known about the role of age at marriage as a potential determinant of women’s obesity. This study examines the relationship between marital age and obesity risk among Pakistani women using data from the 2012–13 and 2017–18 Pakistan Demographic and Health Surveys. Baseline OLS models show that later marriage is significantly associated with a lower risk of obesity, with stronger effects observed among younger cohorts. Instrumental-variable estimates, exploiting community norms around marital age, confirm the OLS results for urban women, indicating that each additional year of delayed marriage reduces obesity risk by 0.7 percentage points. Analysis of mechanisms highlights fertility patterns, schooling, literacy, labour-force participation, health knowledge, and a reduced spousal age gap as key pathways linking early marriage to higher obesity risk among urban women.