Nutritional Status Profile of Women of Reproductive Age Based on Anthropometric Indicators
Abstract
Nutritional status reflects the balance between nutritional needs and intake, which is crucial for the health of women of reproductive age, as it directly affects reproductive function, pregnancy, and overall family well-being. This study aimed to accurately assess their nutritional status using anthropometric indicators as an initial step to prevent metabolic disease risks in women of reproductive age. This was a descriptive study with a cross-sectional design conducted from November 2024 to January 2025. The population consisted of all women of reproductive age (WRA) with total of 45 respondents were selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected through direct observation using a checklist that included demographic characteristics and anthropometric measurements. The data were analyzed univariately and classified based on WHO standards to determine categories of undernutrition, normal, overweight, and central obesity. Results were presented in tables, charts, and descriptive narratives. Most women of reproductive age (WRA) were in the productive age range of 21–35 years, with the majority having a senior high school education and working as employees or laborers. Nutritional status, based on BMI and MUAC, was predominantly in the normal category; however, waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) measurements indicated a high prevalence of central obesity among the WRA. All respondents had a WHR ≥ 0.85, indicating a high risk of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and type 2 diabetes. This study assessed the nutritional status of women of reproductive age using anthropometric indicators such as BMI, MUAC, waist circumference, and WHR. While most had normal nutritional status, there was a high prevalence of central obesity, which poses a risk for non-communicable diseases like hypertension and diabetes.
References
Acharya, S. R., Bhatta, J., & Timilsina, D. P. (2017). Factors associated with nutritional status of women of reproductive age group in rural, Nepal. Asian Pacific Journal of Health Sciences, 4(4), 19–24. https://doi.org/10.21276/apjhs.2017.4.4.6
AlBaloul, A. H., Griffin, J., Kopytek, A., Elliott, P., & Frost, G. (2024). Evidence of gene-nutrient interaction association with waist circumference, cross-sectional analysis. BMC Public Health, 24(1), 1842. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-19127-z
Arif, M., Gaur, D. K., Gemini, N., Iqbal, Z. A., & Alghadir, A. H. (2022). Correlation of Percentage Body Fat, Waist Circumference and Waist-to-Hip Ratio with Abdominal Muscle Strength. Healthcare (Switzerland), 10(12). https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10122467
Badan Penelitian dan Pengembangan Kesehatan, K. K. R. (2018, December). Laporan Nasional RISKESDAS 2018.
Bathla, S., Sharma, M., & Bala, R. (2018). Assessment of food habits and dietary intake of rural women. Journal of Krishi Vigyan, 7(1), 25. https://doi.org/10.5958/2349-4433.2018.00095.8
Bidang Penelitian dan Pengembangan Kesehatan. (2019). Laporan Nasional Riskesdas 2018. Lembaga Penerbit Bidang Penelitian dan Pengembangan Kesehatan. https://repository.badankebijakan.kemkes.go.id/id/eprint/3514/1/Laporan%20Riskesdas%202018%20Nasional.pdf
Chowdhury, S. R., Islam, Md. N., Sheekha, T. A., Kader, S. B., & Hossain, A. (2023). Prevalence and determinants of non-communicable diseases risk factors among reproductive-aged women: Findings from a nationwide survey in Bangladesh. PLOS ONE, 18(6), e0273128. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0273128
Gadekar, T., Dudeja, P., Basu, I., Vashisht, S., & Mukherji, S. (2020). Correlation of visceral body fat with waist–hip ratio, waist circumference and body mass index in healthy adults: A cross sectional study. Medical Journal Armed Forces India, 76(1), 41–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mjafi.2017.12.001
Hilyatin, N., Roosita, K., Rimbawan, R., & Rafi, M. (2024). The influences of nutritional status and abdominal circumference systolic blood pressure in adult men. AcTion: Aceh Nutrition Journal, 9(2), 280. https://doi.org/10.30867/action.v9i2.1668
Islam, F., Kathak, R. R., Sumon, A. H., & Molla, N. H. (2020). Prevalence and associated risk factors of general and abdominal obesity in rural and urban women in Bangladesh. PLoS ONE, 15(5). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0233754
Jibril, A. T., Ghorbaninejad, P., Sheikhhossein, F., & Shab-Bidar, S. (2022). Positive Association Between Nutrient Adequacy and Waist Circumference: Results of a Cross-Sectional Study. Clinical Nutrition Research, 11(3), 204. https://doi.org/10.7762/cnr.2022.11.3.204
Kandel, B., Khatri, D., Koirala, A. K., Chhetri, Y., & Manandhar, A. (2024). Dietary Intake Pattern and Nutritional Status of Women of Reproductive Age in Slum Areas of Pokhara Metropolitan. Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, 2024(1). https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/6677529
Kurniawati, T. W., Yunitasari, E., & Kurnia, I. D. (2025). Correlation Between Child’s Gender, Birth Weight, Maternal Age, and Stunting Risk Under Five: A Systematic Review. Indonesian Journal of Global Health Research, 7(1), 999–1006. https://doi.org/10.37287/ijghr.v7i1.5472
Manoussi, A., NACER, N., KAJJOUNE, I., Baali, A., AMOR, H., & OUZENNOU, N. (2024). Anthropometric assessment of the nutritional status of women of childbearing age in the province of Essaouira, Morocco. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4870907/v1
Negash, C., Whiting, S. J., Henry, C. J., Belachew, T., & Hailemariam, T. G. (2015). Association between Maternal and Child Nutritional Status in Hula, Rural Southern Ethiopia: A Cross Sectional Study. PLOS ONE, 10(11), e0142301. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0142301
Permatasari, T. A. E., Rizqiya, F., Kusumaningati, W., Suryaalamsah, I. I., & Hermiwahyoeni, Z. (2021). The effect of nutrition and reproductive health education of pregnant women in Indonesia using quasi experimental study. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 21(1), 180. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-021-03676-x
Pertiwi, D., Kusudaryati, D., Dewi Noviyanti, R., Innayah, A., S1, P., Fakultas, G., Kesehatan, I., Pku, I., & Surakarta, M. (2022). Relationship Between Age And Work With Nutritional Status Of Wus In Polosari Karangasem Karanganyar Village under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0). Jurnal Eduhealth, 12(02), 2022. http://ejournal.seaninstitute.or.id/index.php/healt
Phadke, M., Nair, R., Menon, P., & Singal, V. (2020). Evolution of Anthropometry in Malnutrition. International Journal of Nutrition, 4(4), 25–35. https://doi.org/10.14302/issn.2379-7835.ijn-19-3111
Pullar, J., Wickramasinghe, K., Demaio, A. R., Roberts, N., Perez-Blanco, K.-M., Noonan, K., & Townsend, N. (2019). The impact of maternal nutrition on offspring’s risk of non-communicable diseases in adulthood: a systematic review. Journal of Global Health, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.7189/jogh.09.020405
Sunu, P. V., Jaleel, A., Neeraja, G., Jayalakshmi, G., Narasimhulu, D., Senthilkumar, B., Santhoshkumar, T., Sreeramakrishna, K., & Arlappa, N. (2024). Diet and Nutritional Status of Women of Reproductive Age (15–49 Years) in Indigenous Communities of Attappady, Kerala, India. Nutrients , 16(16). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16162698
Tang, H., & Yang, M. (2023). Nutritional Assessment in Patients with Chronic Diseases: Tools, Challenges, and Future Directions. In Nutrients (Vol. 15, Issue 22). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15224794
The Lancet. (2024). Non-communicable diseases in reproductive care. The Lancet, 404(10448), 95. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01298-4
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Indonesia. (2022, December). Landscape analysis of overweight and obesity in Indonesia. Https://Www.Unicef.Org/Indonesia/Reports/Landscape-Analysis-. https://www.unicef.org/indonesia/nutrition/reports/landscape-analysis-overweight-and-obesity-indonesia
Workicho, A., Belachew, T., Argaw, A., Roba, A., Ghosh, S., Kershaw, M., Lachat, C., & Kolsteren, P. (2020). Maternal nutritional status mediates the association between maternal age and birth outcomes. Maternal and Child Nutrition, 16(4). https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13015
World Health Organization. (2025, May 7). Obesity and overweight. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight
Yosefinata, K., Zuhairini, Y., & Luftimas, D. E. (2022). Association Between Maternal Mid-Upper Arm Circumference and Baby’s Birth Weight. Majalah Kedokteran Bandung, 54(3), 172–176. https://doi.org/10.15395/mkb.v54n3.2701.
Copyright (c) 2025 Indonesian Journal of Global Health Research
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
