Body mass index and work-disabling morbidity: results from a Bangladeshi case study.

A classification for chronic energy deficiency (CED) among adults has recently been proposed which utilizes body mass index (BMI). This paper reports on data collected in an urban slum in Bangladesh on the association between BMI and work-disabling morbidity among adult men (n = 199). The mean BMI among the study men was 19.0 (SD = 2.9). 9% were classified as grade III CED, 15.6% grade II, 27% grade I, and 48.2% as 'normal'. There was a significant inverse association between BMI and work-disabling morbidity. Below a BMI of 16.0, 55% of men had lost one or more working days in the month prior to interview. This proportion dropped to 35% among those with a BMI between 16.0 and 17.0. Above a BMI 'threshold' of 17.0, the percentage of men incapacitated from work was similar in each BMI category. These results held whether accidents were included or excluded. Although the results are limited by the cross-sectional design of the study, the association supports the proposed classification of CED among adults. It is hoped that these results stimulate further research in this area.