Nutrition and fertility in Bangladesh: nutritional status of nonpregnant women.

In October 1975 a longitudinal study of over 2000 married women was initiated in Matlab, Bangladesh, to determine the association of fertility with nutritional status. This paper reports the results on nutritional status among nonpregnant women. The average weight and height of the study women was 40.4 kg and 147.9 cm. Weight fluctuated throughout the 2 1/2 yr study period corresponding to seasonal food shortages. Maternal weight (controlling for height) was consistently lower for older, higher parity women, illustrating the negative impact of increasing numbers of births on the mother's nutrient stores. Older women were also shorter than younger women, due to greater deficits in growth during childhood. Older, higher parity women had slightly lower hematocrits than younger women with an overall mean of 35%. Education level was associated positively with height, weight, and hematocrit. Muslims were taller and heavier than Hindus, reflecting their generally higher socioeconomic status. The seasonal pattern of nutritional status is discussed in relation to the seasonality of food availability, activity patterns, and incidence of infectious disease.