Pooled prevalence and associated factors of overweight/obesity among under-five children in 46 low- and middle-income countries: A cross-sectional analysis of Demographic and Health Surveys data (2015–2024)

Dejen Kahsay Asgedom, Fentahun Bikale Kebede, Simachew Getaneh Endalamew, Bewuketu Terefe, Solomon Keflie Assefa and Etsay Woldu Anbesu

PLOS Global Public Health, 2026, vol. 6, issue 8, 1-20

Abstract: Overweight and obesity remain major global public health challenges, particularly among children under five years of age in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study aimed to assess the pooled prevalence of overweight/obesity and its associated factors among children aged 6–59 months in 46 LMICs. We used the most recent nationally representative demographic and health surveys (2015–2024) from forty-six LMICs. A total of 393,638 weighted samples of children aged 6–59 months were included. Childhood overweight and obesity were defined as weight-for-height greater than two and three standard deviations above the WHO reference population median, respectively. Multilevel log-binomial regression models were employed. An adjusted risk ratio (RR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to select variables that had a significant association with childhood overweight/obesity. A p value

Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pgph00:0006575

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0006575

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