Socio-economic, environmental and nutritional characteristics of urban and rural South Indian women in early pregnancy: findings from the South Asian Birth Cohort (START).

ABSTRACT:

Objective

High frequency of low birth weight (LBW) is observed in rural compared with urban Indian women. Since maternal BMI is known to be associated with pregnancy outcomes, the present study aimed to investigate factors associated with BMI in early pregnancy of urban and rural South Indian women.

Design

Prospective observational cohort.

Setting

A hospital-based study conducted at an urban and a rural health centre in Karnataka State.

Subjects

Pregnant women (n 843) aged 18-40 years recruited in early pregnancy from whom detailed sociodemographic, environmental, anthropometric and dietary intake information was collected.

Results

A high proportion of low BMI (32 v. 26 %, P<0·000) and anaemia (48 v. 23 %, P<0·000) was observed in the rural v. the urban

SUBMITTER: Dwarkanath P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10261275 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature