Double burden of malnutrition in children aged 24-59 months by socioeconomic status in five South Asian countries: evidence from Demographic and Health Surveys

ABSTRACT Background Developing countries are now facing double burden of undernutrition and overnutrition among children and adults. We aimed to explore the double burden of malnutrition among children aged 24-59 months by household’s socioeconomic status in South Asian context. Methods Children with valid information on height and weight from the latest Demographic and Health Survey from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Maldives, and Nepal were included in this study. Underweight and overweight were defined according to definitions of World Health Organisation and International Obesity Task Force, respectively. We used multiple logistic regressions to estimate the association of socioeconomic status with childhood underweight and overweight. Results South Asian countries had significant burden of underweight, ranging from 19% in Maldives to 38% in India.…