Objective: The present study intends to find out socioeconomic determinants of undernutrition and overnutrition among adult Bengali males and females in West Bengal.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 7538 Bengalis aged 18 to 75 years, with 3762 males and 3776 females. The research was carried out in two blocks named Bolpur Sriniketan and Sainthia of Birbhum. Study area and participants were selected through simple random sampling (SRS) technique. Anthropometric measures were taken, and nutritional indicators such as Body Mass Index (BMI), Waist Hip Ratio (WHR), and Waist Height Ratio (WHtR) were calculated. Some socioeconomic data were collected based on National Family Health Survey guidelines (NFHS, 2015), to explore how they influenced nutritional status.

Results: Undernutrition rate was highest among middle-aged males (39.39%) and elderly females (36.24%). Elderly had highest rates of central obesity (WHtR), with 39.67% males and 52.71% females. Age had a significant positive association with BMI, WHR, and WHtR (r-value, p<0.05). Multinomial logistics regression (MLR) revealed that socioeconomic variables had an impact on nutritional status. Based on MLR of both sexes, significant and common factors were age, wealth index, and monthly family income for undernutrition, while monthly family income for overnutrition.

Conclusion: The coexistence of the double burden of malnutrition and socioeconomic factors was found. Females were shown to be more prone to overnutrition than males. Nutritional disparities and economic inequality exist together and this economic inequality was a major factor affecting the double burden of malnutrition of Bengalee adults in Birbhum.