Triple Burden of Malnutrition among Young Women Aged 15-24 Years in a Rural Area of Haryana.

Background: Malnutrition is a major problem, particularly among young women (aged 15-24 years) in rural India. Malnutrition not only affects their own health but may also affect the health of their future offspring. In India, there is a triple burden of malnutrition, that is, underweight, overweight, and anemia. However, only a few studies have assessed the triple burden in the community simultaneously. Therefore, we aimed to estimate the prevalence of malnutrition in a comprehensive manner and study the associated factors among young women in rural Haryana.

Methodology: In this community-based study, 490 non-pregnant women aged 15-24 years were interviewed for socio-demographic details, menstrual and diet history, and anthropometry was performed. World Health Organization Asian adult body mass index cut-offs (for those aged ≥18 years) and extended International Obesity Task Force cut-offs (for those <18 years) were used to classify weight categories. Hemoglobin (Hb) concentration was estimated to identify anemia, defined as Hb concentration (<12 g/dL). The association between underweight, overweight, anemia, and selected independent variables was assessed by multivariate analysis.

Results: The prevalence of underweight and overweight was 35.1% and 18.0%, respectively. The prevalence of anemia was 60.7%. The majority (98.2%) of the participants did not have adequate dietary diversity. Economic status and history of chronic disease or other infections had a significant association with being underweight. Women who were overweight had significantly lower odds of being anemic (odds ratio: 0.42; 95% confidence interval: 25-77%) (P = 0.01).

Conclusion: The triple burden of malnutrition was high among young women residing in a rural area of Haryana, India.