Unhealthy Weight Among Mothers and Young Children in the Middle East and North African Region

Background Previous studies have documented the emergence of double‐burden households in poorer countries, or households that have both underweight and overweight or obese persons. Methods We used nationally representative data from the most recent Demographic and Health Survey (2001–2012) in the six countries in the MENA Region (n=21,481) with available data (Azerbaijan, Egypt, Jordan, Mauritania, Morocco, and Turkey) to examine weight status amongst mothers and their child under age 5 years in a part of the world where increases in obesity have been noted. Under‐nutrition households were defined as underweight mother and thin child; over‐nutrition households as overweight or obese mother and overweight child; and double burden households as underweight mother and overweight child or overweight or obese mother and thin child. Survey‐adjusted multinomial logistic regression was used to quantify predictors of household weight pattern. Results Across the MENA region, 7.3% of households were double burden and 11.0% were over‐nutrition households; only 0.3% were under‐nutrition households. Households in urban settings, with private water access, male children, and older mothers, were more likely to be over‐nutrition or double burden households compared to normal‐weight households. Wealthier households were more likely to have over‐nutrition pairs. Compared to over‐nutrition households, double burden households were poorer and more likely to have a child with lower birth weight. Conclusion These nationally representative data demonstrate the existence of double burden households in the MENA region, the seeming disappearance of underweight mother‐child pairs, and the social context of household weight status.