Table 1.
Background characteristics of the survey participants according to body weight categories classified by guidelines1
| 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. Numbers and column percentages unless otherwise specified
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.
BMI Body mass index, IQR Inter-quartile range, WHO World Health Organization