Trends and disparities in the coexistence of anemia and obesity among Peruvian women aged 20–49 years: doubling prevalence in two decades of National surveillance

Valladolid-Sandoval L.A.M.; Vásquez-Romero L.E.M.; Loayza-Castro J.A.; Mayely Sanchez-Tamay N.; Coronel A.C.; Zuzunaga-Montoya F.E.; De Carrillo C.I.G.; Vera-Ponce V.J. · International Journal for Equity in Health (2025) · DOI: 10.1186/s12939-025-02576-2

Resumen

Introduction: The coexistence of anemia and obesity represents a growing challenge in countries experiencing accelerated nutritional transitions. The marked geographic and socioeconomic heterogeneity in Peru provides a unique context for exploring their joint occurrence disparities. Objectives: To determine temporal trends, geographic distribution, and sociodemographic disparities associated with the coexistence of anemia and obesity in women aged 20–49, using data from the Demographic and Family Health Survey (DHS). Methodology: : A cross-sectional study with analytical and geospatial approaches was conducted using DHS data from 2005 to 2023. The main variable combined anemia (hemoglobin < 12 g/dL in non-pregnant women) and obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²) into four categories. Descriptive analyses, bivariate analyses, and polytomous logistic regressions adjusted for age and sex were performed. Additionally, geospatial distribution was explored through prevalence mapping and Moran’s Index calculation. Results: In a sample of 326 474 women evaluated during the 2005–2023 period, the coexistence of anemia and obesity more than doubled (from 3.45% in 2005 to 7.43% in 2023). Concurrently, obesity without anemia more than doubled (from 11.20 to 23.84%, peaking at 28.71% in 2021), while the proportion of women without either condition decreased substantially from 58.57 to 50.12%. Multivariate analysis revealed higher odds of this dual condition in middle and high socioeconomic levels, while urban residence, higher education, and highland residence were associated with lower probability. Conclusions: The joint occurrence of anemia and obesity constitutes a growing priority problem, as demonstrated by its prevalence of more than doubling over the past 19 years, in a context where obesity without anemia also more than doubled, and the proportion of healthy women decreased considerably. This phenomenon requires urgent multisectoral interventions to address micronutrient deficiency and overweight/obesity, emphasizing the identified regional and sociodemographic disparities. Clinical trial number: Not applicable. © The Author(s) 2025.

Instituciones: Universidad Continental; Universidad Nacional Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza de Amazonas