This study examined the variation in weight, height and body mass index of 1048 mothers living in a rural area of Bangladesh in relation to age, education, number of previous pregnancies, number of dead children, religion, family type, family size, and amount of land owned by the household. Multiple regression analysis revealed a positive relationship of education with all three variables. Moslem mothers were on average in better condition than Hindus. The number of dead children showed a negative relationship with height, weight and body mass index.
PIP: Demographers analyzed June-September 1981 data on 1048 nonpregnant mothers from the villages of Tatua, Baishpur, Dhakirgaon, Machuakhal, and Khidirpur in the Matlab region of Bangladesh, to determine nutritional status and determinants of maternal nutritional status. Mean body weight was 40.12 kg (range, 25.2-61.2 kg). Even though the mean body height was 148.11 cm (range, 126.5-162.9 cm), many women (23.9%) were less than 145 cm. Similarly, many women (23.8%) had a body mass index (BMI) less than 17. BMI varied from 13.79 to 27.57 (mean, 18.27). Women with no schooling weighed less (e.g., 39.77 kg vs. 41.16 kg at least 4 years schooling; p .01-.05) and were shorter (147.75 cm vs. 149.06 cm; p .01) than those with schooling; they also had a smaller BMI (18.2 vs. 18.51; p .05). Moslem women were likely to weigh more (40.24 kg vs. 39.45 kg; p .05) and be taller (148.42 cm vs. 146.48 cm; p .001) than Hindu women. This difference remained after controlling for education indicating that religion was not a proxy for household socioeconomic status. Indeed, Hindus and Moslems practice different food habits and rituals, particularly around birth. Women who had no dead children enjoyed better nutritional status than those who had at least 1 dead child (p .01 for weight; p .05 for height; p .01 for BMI). The difference was most stark between those with no dead children and those who had at least 3 dead children (40.44 kg vs. 39.65 kg, 148.43 cm vs. 147.1 cm, and 18.34 vs. 17.52, respectively). Younger women were taller than older women suggesting that women's health improved over time (148.4 cm for 20 year olds vs. 147.03 cm for =or 40 year olds; p .001). Height was the most important variable determining weight (p .001. These results indicated that rural women have low nutritional status. Female health and adequacy of female growth are needed to achieve national development because they make up 50% of the labor force and they are mothers.