Table 1 Baseline characteristics, prevalence and crude risk ratio of women of characteristics, NDHS 2018 (N = 14,454)

Women status

p < 0.05

p < 0.05

Non-pregnant and non-lactating

9272 (64.2%)

56.6 (55.1–58.0)

Reference

Pregnant

1469 (10.2%)

61.8 (58.5–65.0)

1.03 (1.01–1.06)**

Breastfeeding

3713 (25.7%)

59.4 (57.5–61.4)

1.02 (1.00–1.03)**

Age

p < 0.106

p < 0.137

15–19

2695 (18.7%)

60.4 (58.1–62.6)

Reference

20–24

2253 (15.6%)

56.0 (53.4–58.7)

0.97 (0.95–0.99)**

25–29

2608 (18.0%)

55.8 (53.2–58.4)

0.97 (0.95–0.99)**

30–34

2286 (15.8%)

58.0 (55.4–60.5)

0.99 (0.97–1.01)

35–39

2062 (14.3%)

59.1 (56.3–61.9)

0.99 (0.97–1.01)

40–44

1312 (9.1%)

57.5 (54.3–60.6)

0.98 (0.96–1.01)

45–49

1239 (8.6%)

57.7 (54.4–60.9)

0.98 (0.96–1.01)

BMI

p < 0.001

p < 0.001

 < 18.5 (Too thin for height)

1662 (11.5%)

62.6 (59.5–65.5)

1.02 (0.99–1.04)

18.5–24.9 (Normal)

8724 (60.4%)

60.2 (58.6–61.7)

Reference

25.0–29.9 (Overweight)

2643 (18.3%)

53.2 (50.7–55.6)

0.96 (0.94–0.97)***

 ≥ 30.0 (Obese)

1425 (9.9%)

46.8 (43.6–50.0)

0.92 (0.89–0.94)***

Stature

p < 0.627

p < 0.594

Short (< -2SD)

277 (1.9%)

59.6 (52.2–66.6)

1.01 (0.97–1.06)

Normal (-2SD—2SD)

13,886 (96.1%)

57.7 (56.5–58.9)

Reference

Tall (> 2SD)

291 (2.0%)

57.8 (56.7–59.0)

1.02 (0.98–1.06)

Parity

p < 0.001

p < 0.001

None

3615 (25.0%)

56.8 (54.7–58.9)

Reference

1

1708 (11.8%)

57.6 (54.6–60.5)

1.00 (0.98–1.03)

2–3

3360 (23.3%)

55.7 (53.6–57.8)

0.99 (0.97–1.01)

4–5

2708 (18.7%)

57.2 (54.9–59.5)

1.00 (0.98–1.02)

 ≥ 6

3063 (21.2%)

62.1 (60.0–64.1)

1.03 (1.02–1.05)

Marital status

p = 0.145

p = 0.162

Never in union

3277 (22.7%)

56.5 (54.2–58.8)

Reference

Currently in union

10,434 (72.2%)

58.4 (57.1–59.7)

1.01 (1.00–1.03)

Formerly in union

742 (5.1%)

55.4 (51.3–59.6)

0.99 (0.96–1.02)

Highest level of education

p < 0.001

p < 0.001

No education

4788 (33.1%)

64.1 (62.2–66.0)

Reference

Primary

2214 (15.3%)

58.7 (56.2–61.0)

0.97 (0.95–0.98)***

Secondary

5958 (41.2%)

47.3 (43.9–50.8)

0.95 (0.93–0.96)***

Tertiary

1495 (10.3%)

57.8 (56.7–59.0)

0.90 (0.87–0.92)***

Wealth quintile

p < 0.001

p < 0.001

Poorest

2331 (16.1%)

65.8 (63.1–68.4)

Reference

Poorer

2725 (18.9%)

61.7 (59.1–64.2)

0.98 (0.95–0.99)**

Middle

2952 (20.4%)

59.2 (56.9–61.4)

0.96 (0.94–0.98)***

Richer

3170 (21.9%)

55.3 (53.1–57.6)

0.94 (0.92–0.96)***

Richest

3277 (22.7%)

50.2 (47.7–52.7)

0.91 (0.89–0.93)***

Residence

p < 0.001

p < 0.001

Urban

6706 (46.4)

53.6 (51.8–55.4)

Reference

Rural

7748 (53.6)

61.5 (60.0–63.0)

1.05 (1.04–1.07)***

Religion

p < 0.001

p < 0.001

Catholic

1525 (10.6%)

56.5 (53.6–59.4)

Reference

Other Christian

5376 (37.2%)

55.6 (54.0–57.2)

0.99 (0.97–1.01)

Islam

7468 (51.7%)

59.9 (58.1–61.6)

1.02 (1.00–1.04)**

Other religion

85 (0.6%)

47.3 (35.5–59.4)

0.95 (0.87–1.03)

Ethnicity

p < 0.001

p < 0.001

Fulani

821 (5.68%)

64.2 (59.9–68.4)

Reference

Hausa

4008 (27.7%

61.0 (58.6–63.4)

0.98 (0.95–1.01)

Igbo

2255 (15.6%)

64.7 (62.1–67.2)

1.00 (0.97–1.03)

Yoruba

2409 (16.7%)

51.4 (48.7–54.1)

0.92 (0.89–0.95)***

Other ethnic minorities

4962 (34.3%)

54.2 (52.3–56.1)

0.94 (0.91–0.97)***

Regions

p < 0.001

p < 0.001

North Central

2080 (14.4%)

55.1 (52.4–57.7)

Reference

North-East

2189 (15.2%)

58.3 (55.4–61.3)

1.02 (1.00–1.05)

North-West

3889 (26.9%)

58.9 (56.4–61.4)

1.02 (1.00–1.05)**

South-East

1769 (12.2%)

65.9 (63.1–68.5)

1.07 (1.04–1.10)***

South–South

1791 (12.4%)

60.4 (57.1–63.5)

1.03 (1.01–1.06)**

South-West

2735 (18.9%)

51.2 (48.5–53.9)

0.98 (0.95–1.00)**

Slept under ITN

p = 0.245

p = 0.245

No

7531 (52.1%)

57.2 (55.7–58.8)

Reference

Yes

6923 (47.9%)

58.5 (56.9–60.1)

1.01 (0.99–1.02)

Smoke cigarettes

p = 0.664

p = 0.674

No

14,429 (99.8)

57.8 (56.7–59.0)

Reference

Yes

25 (0.2%)

53.3 (33.2–72.4)

0.97 (0.85–1.11)

Total

14,454 (100%)

57.8 (56.7–59.0)