Demographic and Health Surveys Methodology - Measure DHS

CHILDREN’S AND WOMEN’S NUTRITIONAL STATUSWOMEN’S NUTRITIONAL STATUSStatistics: Percentages of Women Age 15–49 by Nutritional StatusDefinitionA. Coverage:1. Population base: Non-pregnant and non-postpartum women age 15–49 years at the time ofthe survey.2. Time period: Current status at time of the survey.B. Numerators: Number of women with a body mass index (BMI) with the following values:1. Normal: 18.5 to 24.92. Mildly thin: 17.0 to 18.43. Moderately thin: 16.0 to 16.94. Severely thin: less than 16.05. Overweight: 25.0 to 29.96. Obese: 30.0 or more.C. Denominator: Number of women age 15–49 years at the time of the survey, excluding womenwho are pregnant or who gave birth in the two months preceding the date of the interview.CalculationA. The body mass index is calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height inmeters.B. The percentages of women, by category, are equal to the category numerators divided by thedenominator and multiplied by 100.Handling of Missing ValuesWomen who were not weighed and measured and women whose values for weight and height were notrecorded are excluded from both the denominator and the numerators. Women whose calculated BMI isbelow 12.0 or above 60.0 are flagged as out of range and are excluded from both the denominator and thenumerators.Notes and ConsiderationsBMI, also known as the Quetelet Index, is a measure of acute nutritional status. It is based on the FogartyMetropolitan Life tables of ideal weight for height.Guide to DHS Statistics 147 Updated September 2006