Exploring the association between women's autonomy and overweight: Empirical analysis in Côte d'Ivoire.

Abstract

Much of the literature has associated women’s participation in household decision-making with better health outcomes. In Côte d’Ivoire, a plump body with particularly prominent hips and buttocks has long been the predominant standard of beauty for women. The prevalence of overweight is greater among women, thereby increasing their vulnerability to life-threatening illnesses. We investigated the association between women’s autonomy in household decision-making and overweight, using the most recent demographic and health survey. In our estimation models, we included region fixed effects to account for unobserved socioeconomic and cultural differences across geographic areas. Overall, we found that women with low autonomy and those with high autonomy were more likely to be overweight than those with no autonomy. Further investigations suggest no association between autonomy and overweight for women in urban areas. However, for women in rural areas, autonomy was associated with a higher likelihood of being overweight, particularly for those with no formal education. These findings suggest that programs promoting women’s autonomy in household decision-making should be accompanied by targeted health education for rural women, to raise awareness of the health risks associated with being overweight.