Analysis of social and economic factors influencing overweight and obesity among women of childbearing age in Nigeria: A GAMLSS approach

The rising prevalence of overweight and obesity among women of reproductive age presents significant public health challenges, particularly in low and middle income countries. Utilizing data from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), this research employed a Generalized Additive Model for Location, Scale, and Shape (GAMLSS) alongside with reparameterized Marshall–Olkin distribution within the quantile regression framework to analyze the relationships between the response variable Body Mass Index (BMI) and various predictor. The findings reveal that higher levels of education, wealth, employment status, and advancing age are significant predictors influencing BMI, while urban residence did not show a consistent effect. Access to improved water, sanitation, and electricity was associated with a lower risk of obesity. Additionally, media exposure, particularly television was strongly linked to higher BMI, indicating potential behavioral and lifestyle choice. The integration of spatial analysis reveals substantial regional disparities in overweight and obesity prevalence. These findings underscore the pivotal role of public health policies in mitigating socioeconomic disparities and regional variations, thereby guiding the development of more targeted and effective obesity prevention strategies among women of reproductive age in Nigeria.