TITLE:
Co-Occurrence of Anemia and Overweight among Women of Reproductive Age in Burkina Faso: A Limited Double Burden?
AUTHORS:
Hermann Biénou Lanou, Boubacar Savadogo, Jeoffray Diendéré, Augustin Nawidimbasba Zeba
KEYWORDS:
Double Burden of Malnutrition, Anemia, Obesity, Women of Reproductive Age, Burkina Faso
JOURNAL NAME:
Food and Nutrition Sciences,
Vol.17 No.1,
January
21,
2026
ABSTRACT: The double burden of malnutrition (DBM), defined as the coexistence of undernutrition and overweight or obesity (OWO) in the same individual, is an emerging challenge in sub-Saharan Africa. In Burkina Faso, where anemia affects 28.0% of women and obesity 11.0%, few studies have examined the determinants of their co-occurrence. This study aims to determine whether this DBM occurs randomly or follows a specific sociodemographic trend. We analyzed data from 7987 women aged 15 - 49 years from the Burkina Faso Demographic and Health Survey (DHS-V). DBM was defined as the simultaneous presence of anemia (Hb 2). Analyses used methods adapted to the complex sampling design, including Rao-Scott chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression. DBM was significantly less frequent than expected (observed/expected ratio = 0.89, p