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Table 1 Background characteristics of the survey participants according to body weight categories classified by guidelines1

From: Prevalence and factors associated with underweight, overweight and obesity among women of reproductive age in India

Characteristics

Underweight (n = 148,115)

Asian Classification

WHO Classification

Overall (n = 647,168)

Normal weight (n = 283,402)

Overweight/obese (n = 215,652)

Normal weight (n = 365,305)

Overweight/obese (n = 133,748)

BMI, Median (IQR), kg/m2

17.3 (16.4–17.9)

20.6 (19.6–21.7)

25.6 (24.1–28.1)

21.2 (19.9–22.7)

27.5 (26.0–29.8)

21.0 (28.7–23.9)

Age (in years)

 Median (IQR)

24 (18–33)

28 (21–37)

35 (28–42)

29 (22–38)

36 (29–42)

30 (22–38)

 15–19

47,783 (32.3)

55,595 (19.6)

10,623 (4.9)

61,395 (16.8)

4823 (3.6)

114,001 (17.6)

 20–29

52,033 (35.1)

100,682 (35.5)

53,112 (24.6)

124,504 (34.1)

29,291 (21.9)

205,828 (31.8)

 30–39

27,991 (18.9)

73,261 (25.9)

77,417 (35.9)

101,255 (27.7)

49,424 (37.0)

178,670 (27.6)

 40–49

20,307 (13.7)

53,863 (19.0)

74,499 (34.5)

78,151 (21.4)

50,211 (37.5)

148,669 (23.0)

Parity

 Never pregnant

66,779 (45.1)

94,769 (33.4)

32,473 (15.1)

110,326 (30.2)

16,917 (12.6)

194,021 (30.0)

 1–4

70,407 (47.5)

166,158 (58.6)

166,657 (77.3)

226,036 (61.9)

106,778 (79.8)

403,221 (62.3)

  ≥ 5

10,929 (7.4)

22,475 (7.9)

16,522 (7.7)

28,943 (7.9)

10,054 (7.5)

49,926 (7.7)

Hormonal contraceptive use

 No

143,494 (96.9)

270,436 (95.4)

204,148 (94.7)

347,672 (95.2)

126,913 (94.9)

618,079 (95.5)

 Yes

4620 (3.1)

12,966 (4.6)

11,503 (5.3)

17,633 (4.8)

6836 (5.1)

29,089 (4.5)

Marital status

 Never married

57,503 (38.8)

75,329 (26.6)

20,970 (9.7)

86,160 (23.6)

10,139 (7.6)

153,803 (23.8)

 Married

85,323 (57.6)

196,289 (69.3)

183,291 (85.0)

263,236 (72.1)

116,344 (87.0)

464,904 (71.8)

 Widowed

3806 (2.6)

8541 (3.0)

8751 (4.1)

11,69 5 (3.2)

5597 (4.2)

21,098 (3.3)

 Divorced/separated

1482 (1.0)

3242 (1.1)

2640 (1.2)

4214 (1.2)

1668 (1.2)

7364 (1.1)

Religion

 Hindu

123,208 (83.2)

230,707 (81.4)

168,637 (78.2)

296,040 (81.0)

103,303 (77.2)

522,551 (80.7)

 Muslim

18,885 (12.8)

37,055 (13.1)

31,826 (14.8)

48,207 (13.2)

20,675 (15.5)

87,767 (13.6)

 Others

6022 (4.1)

15,640 (5.5)

15,188 (7.0)

21,058 (5.8)

9771 (7.3)

36,851 (5.7)

Caste

 Scheduled caste

33,335 (22.5)

59,813 (21.1)

38,682 (17.9)

75,757 (20.7)

22,738 (17.0)

131,830 (20.4)

 Scheduled tribe

18,807 (12.7)

29,040 (10.2)

11,446 (5.3)

34,574 (9.5)

5912 (4.4)

59,293 (9.2)

 Other backward class

64,521 (43.6)

123,023 (43.4)

94,036 (43.6)

158,571 (43.4)

58,487 (43.7)

281,579 (43.5)

 Other

31,452 (21.2)

71,526 (25.2)

71,488 (33.1)

96,403 (26.4)

46,611 (34.8)

174,466 (27.0)

Education level

 No formal education

44,172 (29.8)

83,099 (29.3)

52,078 (24.1)

104,983 (28.7)

30,195 (22.6)

179,349 (27.7)

 Primary

17,831 (12.0)

35,173 (12.4)

28,165 (13.1)

45,712 (12.5)

17,627 (13.2)

81,169 (12.5)

 Secondary

73,243 (49.4)

130,305 (46.0)

102,343 (47.5)

167,546 (45.9)

65,102 (48.7)

305,891 (47.3)

 Higher

12,870 (8.7)

34,825 (12.3)

33,065 (15.3)

47,064 (12.9)

20,825 (15.6)

80,759 (12.5)

Wealth quintile

 Poorest

40,704 (27.5)

57,818 (20.4)

15,091 (7.0)

66,288 (18.1)

6621 (5.0)

113,613 (17.6)

 Poorer

37,467 (25.3)

61,707 (21.8)

27,799 (12.9)

75,087 (20.6)

14,420 (10.8)

126,973 (19.6)

 Middle

30,836 (20.8)

60,301 (21.3)

42,593 (19.8)

77,845 (21.3)

25,049 (18.7)

133,730 (20.7)

 Richer

23,480 (15.9)

54,984 (19.4)

59,212 (27.5)

75,429 (20.6)

38,767 (29.0)

137,676 (21.3)

 Richest

15,628 (10.6)

48,592 (17.1)

70,957 (32.9)

70,657 (19.3)

48,892 (36.6)

135,177 (20.9)

Place of residence

 Urban

34,549 (23.3)

84,952 (30.0)

103,301 (47.9)

118,404 (32.4)

69,849 (52.2)

222,802 (34.4)

 Rural

113,565 (76.7)

198,450 (70.0)

112,350 (52.1)

246,901 (67.6)

63,899 (47.8)

424,366 (65.6)

Region

 Central

15,615 (10.5)

27,343 (9.6)

12,988 (6.0)

32,963 (9.0)

7368 (5.5)

55,945 (8.6)

 Eastern

37,947 (25.6)

66,774 (23.6)

38,159 (17.7)

83,038 (22.7)

21,894 (16.4)

142,880 (22.1)

 Northeastern

4985 (3.4)

11,400 (4.0)

6187 (2.9)

14,325 (3.9)

3262 (2.4)

22,572 (3.5)

 Northern

32,224 (21.8)

67,841 (23.9)

50,114 (23.2)

87,417 (23.9)

30,538 (22.8)

150,179 (23.2)

 Southern

25,181 (17.0)

57,178 (20.2)

65,886 (30.6)

79,213 (21.7)

43,851 (32.8)

148,245 (22.9)

 Western

32,162 (21.7)

52,867 (18.7)

42,319 (19.6)

68,349 (18.7)

26,836 (20.1)

127,348 (19.7)

  1. 1. Numbers and column percentages unless otherwise specified
  2. 2. Asian and WHO classifications categorize combined overweight/obesity as BMI ≥23 and ≥ 25 Kg/m2, respectively. Both classifications categorize underweight as BMI <18.5 Kg/m2
  3. BMI Body mass index, IQR Inter-quartile range, WHO World Health Organization