Nutritional status and body composition characteristics of women aged 15 - 35 years old in two mountainous districts of Son La province, 2018

Abstract

Nutritional status for women before pregnancy is one of the factors that determine the growth of young children, especially in the first 1000 days of life. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 809 women aged 15 - 35 years old in 10 poor communes of Son La province to describe nutritional status and body composition characteristics. The results showed that the average weight of the research subjects was 48.3 kg; the prevalence of low weight was 31.4%; and the average height was 152.3 cm, the prevalence of short height ratio 7.3%; the prevalence of stunting in the 15 – 19 years old group was 29.5% and chronic energy deficiency (CED) in the 20 – 35 years old group was 18.8%, mainly CED at level 1 (14.0%). Body mass index, fat percentage, and fat mass increased with age and differed by the age groups. The height of women of reproductive age in 10 mountainous communes in Son La province appeared to remain unchanged or insignificant compared to 2010. Therefore, it is necessary to have interventions to improve the nutritional status of young women in mountainous areas to contribute to enhancing the stature of children in the adult stage.