Health and Nutritional Outcomes Among Young Females and Children in Southwest Bangladesh

Aquatic foods are fundamental to the Bangladeshi diet, providing nearly two-thirds of total animal protein. Despite this, malnutrition remains a severe public health crisis with a complex etiology. Bangladesh faces a double burden of malnutrition, marked by persistently high rates of micronutrient deficiencies affecting roughly half of both pregnant and non-pregnant women alongside rising levels of overweight and obesity. These challenges are further exacerbated by substantial intrahousehold inequities in this patriarchal society. Disempowerment and early marriage disproportionately expose adolescent girls and young women to inadequate nutrient intake and poor health outcomes, perpetuating an intergenerational cycle of malnutrition. Furthermore, chronic undernutrition and stunting continue to affect a large proportion of children under five.

The problem is particularly acute in coastal communities, where climate change impacts such as salinity intrusion and extreme weather compromise food production and dietary diversity. Understanding and improving the dietary and nutritional status of adolescent girls and young women is therefore essential to breaking the cycle of poor health and ensuring long-term population well-being. Building on a 2017 study conducted with a cohort of 240 adolescents, this research aims to provide longitudinal insights into how nutritional status, female autonomy, aquatic food consumption, and dietary practices have influenced the health and well-being of these women and their children nearly after 10 years.

Hypotheses

• Nutritional status, fish consumption, and female autonomy during adolescence (2017) influence the nutritional status of young women in 2026 and that of their offspring.
• Fish consumption is positively associated with biological markers (omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D levels, and stable isotope ratios in hair).

Objectives

• To assess changes in nutritional status, fish intake, socioeconomic factors, and female autonomy among young women from 2017 to 2026, and examine their associations with the nutritional status of their children (6 months-5 years).
• To investigate associations between assessed fish consumption and biological markers (omega-3, vitamin D, and stable isotope ratios in hair).

The study will be conducted in four distinct saline gradient agro-ecological zones across the shrimp-prawn farming regions of southwest Bangladesh, specifically in Fakirhat (Bagerhat District), Dumuria and Paikgacha (Khulna District), and Shyamnagor (Satkhira District).

Inclusion criteria

• Young women aged 22-27 years who previously participated in the 2017 study. See study description.
• If the women has a child age between 6 months to 5 years, the child child is included to be assessed

Exclusion criteria

• Participants with serious health conditions that may interfere with study procedures or data collection.