Double burden of malnutrition among mothers having under-five children: a cross-sectional study in the slums of Dhaka city

Abstract

Objective: We sought to estimate the prevalence and factors associated factors with the double burden of malnutrition (underweight, overweight/obesity) among mothers who have children less than 5 years of age residing in the slum areas of Dhaka city. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional quantitative study to assess the prevalence and related factors that affect the double burden of malnutrition including underweight, overweight/obesity of those mothers who have children less than 5 years of age. The study was conducted in two big slums; Dholpur slum from South Dhaka city corporations and Korail slum from North Dhaka city corporations in Bangladesh. A total of 424 mothers who have children less than 5 years of age were included in this analysis. The primary outcome variable was underweight and overweight/obesity compared to normal weight as reference category, measured by mother’s body mass index (BMI). And BMI was calculated following by dividing body weight (kg) by total height squared (m2). Results The overall prevalence of underweight and overweight/obesity was respectively 13.4% and 45.3% among under-five children’s mothers who were living in big slums of Dhaka city in Bangladesh. The prevalence of both underweight and overweight/obesity was higher among mothers of 20-29 years of age. We got significant relationship between underweight and overweight/obesity with the mothers’ age, household monthly income, no. of children, frequency of pregnancy, childbirth order, mode of delivery, NCD history, and food insecurity. The associated factors of being underweight are frequency of pregnancy and food insecurity (AOR=4.8, 95% CI: 1.2- 18.3) and (AOR=2.4, 95% CI: 1.1- 5.4) respectively. The most significant factors of being overweight/obese are household monthly income, childbirth order, and mode of delivery (AOR=2.7, 95% CI: 1.3– 5.9), (AOR=3.0, 95% CI: 2.0–9.0) and (AOR=0.4, 95% CI: 0.2-0.7). Conclusion In Bangladesh, overweight and as well as obesity have been tremendously rising but simultaneously underweight did not fall significantly. The Ministry of Health of Bangladesh should consider these findings while whereas creating and executing health programs for the double burden of malnutrition among mothers who have under-five years of children.