Trends and inequalities in the nutritional status of adolescent girls and adult women in sub-Saharan Africa since 2000: a cross-sectional series study

There was a modest decline in underweight prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa. Anaemia declined fastest among adult women and the richest pregnant women, although it affects all women with no marked disparities. Overweight is increasing rapidly among adult women and women with no education. Capital city residents had a threefold more rapid rise in obesity, compared with their rural counterparts. Absolute inequalities suggest that Ethiopia and South Africa have the largest gap in underweight and obesity respectively, between adult and adolescent women. Regional wealth inequalities in obesity are widening annually.