The Independent Effects of Educational Attainment and Mass Media Exposure on Overweight and Obesity Among Bangladeshi Women: A Rural-Urban Comparison

Problems regarding obesity and being overweight are growing, not only in industrialized countries but also in developing countries. This study aimed to examine the effects of education and mass media on urban and rural women suffering from weight issues and obesity in Bangladesh, a developing country. The data were from the 2017 Demographic and Health Survey conducted in Bangladesh among women aged 15–49. The data were analyzed using the chi-square test and multinomial logistic regression (MLR). The prevalence of obesity and being overweight was higher among urban women (23.4% and 36.7%, respectively) than among rural women (12.5% and 32.7%, respectively). Model 1 provides unadjusted odds ratios (ORs), while Models 2, 3, and 4 provide adjusted ORs obtained by MLR for overweight and obesity. According to Model 4, the ORs for obesity and being overweight among women with higher education were higher in urban areas (OR = 3.65 and 1.93, respectively) than in rural areas (OR = 2.14 and 1.58, respectively). The corresponding ORs for women exposed to mass media were 1.78 and 1.17 in urban areas and 1.65 and 1.30 in rural areas. Women with higher education levels and exposure to mass media have a higher risk of being overweight and obese. Appropriate health promotion interventions based on education and mass media should work to reduce this problem.