To assess the pooled prevalence of self-reported sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and their associated factors among adults in South and Southeast Asia, using the Demographic and Health Survey data collected between 2015 and 2023.

A community-based cross-sectional study design was conducted using a multistage cluster sampling approach. Multilevel multivariable logistic regression analysis was employed to identify predictors of self-reported sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Model selection was guided by Akaike’s information criterion, and adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with 95% CIs were estimated to determine statistically significant associations.

South and Southeast Asia.

This analysis included a weighted sample of 791 019 adults aged 15–49 who reported ever having had sexual intercourse. The majority of the participants were female (n=6 87 880; 87%), and most were from Southeast Asia (n=7 00 539; 89%).

The pooled prevalence of self-reported STIs among adults in South and Southeast Asia was 12.94% (95% CI 7.73% to 18.14%). At the individual level, higher odds of reporting STIs were associated with being female (AOR 1.84; 95% CI1.68 to 2.02), having middle (AOR 1.11; 95% CI 1.04 to 1.19) or high wealth status (AOR 1.15; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.24]), being employed (AOR 1.14; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.22), having multiple sexual partners (AOR 2.79; 95% CI 2.22 to 3.52) and having undergone HIV testing (AOR 1.10; 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.20). Conversely, lower odds of self-reported STIs were observed among individuals aged 35–39 years (AOR 0.78; 95% CI 0.66 to 0.92), 40–44 years (AOR 0.68; 95% CI 0.58 to 0.82) and 45–49 years (AOR 0.61; 95% CI 0.52 to 0.73); those who had ever been in a union (AOR 0.71; 95% CI 0.62 to 0.83); individuals with higher education (AOR 0.84; 95% CI 0.76 to 0.93); and those with comprehensive HIV knowledge (AOR 0.82; 95% CI 0.77 to 0.87). At the community level, high illiteracy rates (AOR 1.25; 95% CI 1.15 to 1.35) and high media non-exposure (AOR 1.11; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.20) were positively associated with STIs, while rural residence (AOR 0.81; 95% CI 0.74 to 0.89) and living in Southeast Asia (AOR: 0.47; 95% CI 0.42 to 0.53) were linked to lower odds of self-reported STIs.

A substantial prevalence of self-reported STIs was observed among adults in South and Southeast Asia. Both individual- and community-level factors influence STI risk. The individual-level determinants include socio-demographic characteristics, sexual behaviours, HIV-related knowledge and testing history, while community-level factors reflect disparities in geographic location, educational attainment and media exposure.

Despite global efforts to improve nutrition, young women aged 15–24 years in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) face persistent dual burdens of malnutrition, marked by high rates of underweight and emerging issues of overnutrition, such as overweight and obesity. Current research often emphasises individual-level factors, potentially overlooking broader regional influences.

To examine the burden of abnormal nutritional indices among women aged 15–24 years in 40 LMICs using the most recent Demographic and Health Survey conducted between 2015 and 2023.

Cross-sectional study design.

40 LMICs.

357 587 young women aged 15–24 years.

A multilevel mixed-effect multinomial analysis was conducted to identify determinants of underweight, overweight and obesity. The adjusted relative risk ratio with 95% CI was used to declare the statistical significance of the association.

Our analysis found that among young women aged 15–24 years in LMICs, the pooled prevalence of underweight was 25.7% (95% CI 25.6% to 25.8%), with substantial country-level variation. The highest prevalence was in Timor-Leste (35.4%) and India (31.6%), while Jordan (2.9%) and Zambia (5.5%) had the lowest rates. Overweight and obesity prevalence was 17.7% (95% CI 15.7% to 19.7%), with the highest rates in Jordan (48.9%) and Zambia (40.9%) and the lowest in Timor-Leste (3.9%) and Ethiopia (4.5%). Furthermore, factors such as household wealth, age at marriage, age, education status, access to media, employment status, parity, contraceptive use, toilet facility, region and place of residence were statistically associated with being underweight, overweight and obese.

Our study highlights significant variations in nutritional status among young women aged 15–24 years in LMICs, with a notable prevalence of underweight and emerging challenges of overweight and obesity. Country-specific strategies addressing socioeconomic disparities and regional differences are crucial for effective public health interventions to improve nutritional outcomes among this vulnerable population.