Association between intimate partner violence and women’s nutritional status in India: A cross-sectional analysis of NFHS-5 data

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health concern with well-documented effects on women’s health, yet its relationship with nutritional status remains underexplored in low- and middle-income countries. This study examines the association between IPV and women’s nutritional status in India using data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5, 2019-21). The analysis includes 62,381 currently married women aged 18-49 years who were included in the domestic violence module. Nutritional status was assessed using body mass index (BMI), categorised as chronic energy deficiency (BMI < 18.5 kg/m²) and overweight/obesity (BMI ≥ 25.0 kg/m²). Logistic regression models were used to estimate the associations between physical, sexual, and emotional IPV and nutritional outcomes, adjusting for socio-demographic and behavioural factors. Overall, 19.5 percent of women were overweight or obese, while 7.7 percent were undernourished. Women exposed to physical IPV had higher odds of chronic energy deficiency in adjusted models (AOR: 1.11, 95% CI: 1.03-1.20), whereas no significant association was observed with overweight/obesity. Associations for sexual and emotional IPV were not statistically significant after adjustment. Socioeconomic factors, particularly education, wealth, and residence, were strong determinants of nutritional status. These findings suggest that IPV, especially physical violence, contributes to undernutrition among women in India through pathways of material deprivation and psychosocial stress. Integrating IPV prevention with nutrition and social protection interventions is essential for improving women’s health outcomes.