Factors associated with nutritional status among adult women in urban India, 1998-2006.

This study attempts to understand the factors associated with chronic energy deficiency (CED) and overweight/obesity together with change in CED and overweight/obesity among urban Indian women during 1998-2006. Both National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 1998-1999 and NFHS 2005-2006 data sets were used. The standard cutoff points for both CED (BMI < 18.5 kg/m(2)) and overweight/obesity (BMI ≥ 23 kg/m(2)) were considered. The Phi and Cramer's V tests and predicted probabilities were used to fulfill the study objective. Results indicate an almost 3% reduction in CED and a 6% increase in overweight/obesity during 1998-2006. The probability of CED has reduced among nonliterate women and women belonging to the poorest wealth quintile; on the other hand, the likelihood of being overweight/obese has increased among women with high school education and above and women belonging to the richest wealth quintile. Interventions to promote physical activities and nutritional awareness programs, which are effective in addressing nutritional problems, have been proposed.