In this article by bodyvisualizer.net you will find out more about body mass index below 16.
Introduction
Obesity has come under increased scrutiny around the globe, particularly in low- and middle-income regions (LMIC).
Even in nations where malnutrition has long been a major problem, there has been a need to redirect attention to the social costs of obesity.
3,4 In many LMICs, the average BMI (weight in kilos divided by height in meters squared) of the least affluent is still quite low. 5
According to United Nations guidelines, severe chronic energy insufficiency is defined as a BMI of less than 16.6 for women and less than 16.5 for men. BMI lower than 16 may include people who fluctuate in weight due to calorie restriction or sickness. Still, the prevalence of BMI lower than 16 indicates that humans are not growing at a community level. 7
As a result of physiologic adaptations, persons with a BMI lower than 16 maintain their low weight, which has substantial implications for social functioning, morbidity, and mortality trends. Muscle strength and labor capacity decline with a soft body mass index (BMI). 8,9 Low-BMI mothers are more likely to give birth to babies born underweight, and the offspring of low-BMI mothers are more likely to be malnourished and stunted. 7 BMI mortality curves reveal a significant increase in mortality at low BMI values, particularly in low-income countries. 10,11
A few cross-national studies have looked at the prevalence of a BMI lower than 1612,13, and to our knowledge, no new data have been released. Therefore, using samples of women ages 20 to 49 years old from 60 LMICs, we studied the frequency and distribution of a BMI less than 16 years old and changes in the prevalence over time.
Methods
Data
The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health's ethics board deemed this study exempt since it used publicly available, de-identified data. Since 1984, the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) program14 has been conducting nationally representative household sample surveys in more than 85 countries throughout the world.14 15 The DHS program's surveys were created to collect data on LMICs' fertility, nutrition, and maternal and child health. 15 A multistage probabilistic sampling method was used to choose women between the ages of 15 and 49 for all surveys, with primary sampling units and households picked from geographic-based sample frames covering the whole nation (eAppendix 1 in the Supplement). 16
DHS program surveys used field interview teams composed of two anthropometrically certified health investigators to collect data on participants' weights and heights. Adults were weighed on digital scales (Seca 874 digital floor scale, Seca) with an accuracy of 0.01 kg, wearing tight-fitting clothes and without shoes. In addition, adjustable measuring boards (ShorrBoard) developed for use in surveys were used to measure and record standing height to the closest 0.1 centimeters (cm).
Study Participants and the Number of Subjects Examined
There were two data sets and two analyses employed in this investigation. For the first analysis, at least one survey had been completed in at least one country. This was utilized to investigate the prevalence of a BMI below 16 and the relationship between a BMI below 16 and other demographic and socioeconomic variables. Repeated cross-sectional analyses of data from nations that had at least two surveys were used in the second study. This data set was constructed from each country's first and last survey years, with more than two surveys available. The prevalence of BMI below 16 was calculated using this data set (eAppendix 1 in the Supplement).
Outcome
Individuals with a BMI < 16 were considered to be suffering from the most severe form of chronic malnutrition.
6 The initial BMI-based classification system was founded on the assumption that a single standard was adequate for all ethnic groups, yet insufficient data supports this claim. 17,18
Unadjusted Factors
A BMI of less than 16 was associated with several socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, including age, location of residence, household wealth, and education. Wealth was determined using an asset index established for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) initiative and tested elsewhere. 19,20 Each country's version of this index was created by factoring together a standardized list of assets and services. The distribution of wealth was quantile-classified and used as an ordinal variable. There were three levels of education: none or primary, primary, or secondary or higher, according to the ordinal system.