Women's Nutritional Status

According to the 2005 CDHS report, women’s nutritional status was analyzed by looking at two indicators: height and body mass index (BMI). The height of women is associated with past socioeconomic status and nutrition during childhood and adolescence. A woman’s height is used to predict the risk of difficulty in delivery because small stature is often associated with small pelvis size and the potential for obstructed labor. The risk of giving birth to a low birth weight baby is influenced by the mother’s nutritional status. The cut-off point for the height at which mothers can be considered at risk varies between populations but normally falls between 140 and 150 centimetres. As in other DHS surveys, a cut-off point of 145 cm is used for the 2005 CDHS.

The index used to measure thinness or obesity is known as the body mass index (BMI), or the Quetelet index. BMI is defined as weight in kilograms divided by height squared in meters (kg/m2). A cut-off point of 18.5 is used to define thinness or acute under-nutrition and a BMI of 25 or above usually indicates overweight or obesity.

According to the 2005 CDHS report, twenty percent of women were founded to be underweight (BMI less than 18.5) and ten percent were overweight or obese (BMI of 25 or above). Eight percent of women were founded to be stunted in 2005.

At provincial levels, the highest prevalence of undernourished women is observed in Kampong Thom (25 percent), Prey Veng (27 percent) and Takeo (25 percent). The lowest is observed in Banteay Mean Chey (14 percent) (Figure 4.3).

Figure 4.5: Nutritional Status of Women

source: CDHS 2005

Prevalence of anemia in women

According to the CDHS 2005 data 47 percent of women are anemic with 35 percent mildly anemic, 10 percent moderately anemic and just 1 percent severely anemic. Women with high parity, with little or no education, pregnant, and living in poor households are more likely to suffer from anemia. Anemia is also higher among rural than urban women. Women residing in Phnom Penh have the lowest prevalence of anemia (29 percent) compared with the other provinces.

Figure 4.6: Trends in anemia status among women age 15-49

source: CDHS 2005