Dietary Diversity and Underweight Among Women Aged 15-49 Years in Cambodia: Analysis of the 2021-22 Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey
- 1Calmette Hospital: Hopital Calmette
Abstract
AimThis study aimed to estimate the prevalence and distribution of minimum dietary diversity for women (MDD-W) and underweight/thinness and examine sociodemographic and dietary factors associated with underweight/thinness among Cambodian women aged 15-49 years.
MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 9,181 women aged 15-49 years (9,262.5 weighted) from the 2021-22 Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey. Survey-weighted descriptive statistics and provincial mapping were used to describe MDD-W, food-group consumption and underweight/thinness. Rao-Scott chi-square tests assessed group differences, and survey-weighted logistic regression estimated factors associated with underweight/thinness. MDD-W and household wealth were retained a priori in the adjusted model, while other covariates with an overall crude Wald P value <0.20 were included.
ResultsThe analysis included 9,181 women (9,262.5 weighted). Overall, 57.2% achieved MDD-W, and 6.7% had underweight/thinness; 22.8% were overweight, and 5.7% had obesity. Underweight/thinness was highest among women aged 20-24 years (17.7%). Achieving MDD-W was not associated with underweight/thinness in crude analysis (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.74 to 1.17; P=0.545). In the adjusted analysis, the association remained imprecise (aOR 0.86, 95% CI 0.67 to 1.09; P=0.219). Provincial estimates showed geographic variation in both MDD-W and underweight/thinness.
ConclusionMore than half of Cambodian women achieved MDD-W, while underweight/thinness coexisted with overweight and obesity. MDD-W was not clearly associated with underweight/thinness. These findings support monitoring dietary diversity, anthropometric status, and socioeconomic inequalities together in womens nutrition.
WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ON THIS TOPICMinimum dietary diversity for women is a population-level indicator of dietary diversity and a proxy for micronutrient adequacy among non-pregnant women aged 15-49 years. Cambodia is experiencing a nutrition transition in which undernutrition coexists with increasing overweight and obesity.
WHAT THIS STUDY ADDSUsing nationally representative 2021-22 Cambodia DHS data, this study describes MDD-W, individual food-group consumption, age-appropriate underweight/thinness, the full nutritional-status distribution, and provincial variation among women aged 15-49 years.
HOW THIS STUDY MIGHT AFFECT RESEARCH, PRACTICE OR POLICYThe results can support nutrition surveillance and help identify population groups and geographic areas requiring closer attention. Because MDD-W captures dietary diversity rather than total energy intake, it should be interpreted alongside anthropometry and other indicators of diet and nutritional status.
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BibTeX
@misc{sieng2026dietary,
title = {{Dietary Diversity and Underweight Among Women Aged 15-49 Years in Cambodia: Analysis of the 2021-22 Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey}},
author = {C. Sieng and S. Um and S. Heng},
howpublished = {medRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.64898/2026.10.13.26365381},
url = {https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.13.26365381v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Dietary Diversity and Underweight Among Women Aged 15-49 Years in Cambodia: Analysis of the 2021-22 Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey
AU - C. Sieng
AU - S. Um
AU - S. Heng
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/13
PB - medRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.10.13.26365381
UR - https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.13.26365381v1
AB - AimThis study aimed to estimate the prevalence and distribution of minimum dietary diversity for women (MDD-W) and underweight/thinness and examine sociodemographic and dietary factors associated with underweight/thinness among Cambodian women aged 15-49 years. MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 9,181 women aged 15-49 years (9,262.5 weighted) from the 2021-22 Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey. Survey-weighted descriptive statistics and provincial mapping were used to describe MDD-W, food-group consumption and underweight/thinness. Rao-Scott chi-square tests assessed group differences, and survey-weighted logistic regression estimated factors associated with underweight/thinness. MDD-W and household wealth were retained a priori in the adjusted model, while other covariates with an overall crude Wald P value <0.20 were included. ResultsThe analysis included 9,181 women (9,262.5 weighted). Overall, 57.2% achieved MDD-W, and 6.7% had underweight/thinness; 22.8% were overweight, and 5.7% had obesity. Underweight/thinness was highest among women aged 20-24 years (17.7%). Achieving MDD-W was not associated with underweight/thinness in crude analysis (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.74 to 1.17; P=0.545). In the adjusted analysis, the association remained imprecise (aOR 0.86, 95% CI 0.67 to 1.09; P=0.219). Provincial estimates showed geographic variation in both MDD-W and underweight/thinness. ConclusionMore than half of Cambodian women achieved MDD-W, while underweight/thinness coexisted with overweight and obesity. MDD-W was not clearly associated with underweight/thinness. These findings support monitoring dietary diversity, anthropometric status, and socioeconomic inequalities together in womens nutrition. WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ON THIS TOPICMinimum dietary diversity for women is a population-level indicator of dietary diversity and a proxy for micronutrient adequacy among non-pregnant women aged 15-49 years. Cambodia is experiencing a nutrition transition in which undernutrition coexists with increasing overweight and obesity. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDSUsing nationally representative 2021-22 Cambodia DHS data, this study describes MDD-W, individual food-group consumption, age-appropriate underweight/thinness, the full nutritional-status distribution, and provincial variation among women aged 15-49 years. HOW THIS STUDY MIGHT AFFECT RESEARCH, PRACTICE OR POLICYThe results can support nutrition surveillance and help identify population groups and geographic areas requiring closer attention. Because MDD-W captures dietary diversity rather than total energy intake, it should be interpreted alongside anthropometry and other indicators of diet and nutritional status.
ER -