Spousal Concordance in Overweight and Obesity among Indian Couples: A Nationwide Analysis of Socioeconomic and Dietary Determinants

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Objective: This study examines the level and determinants of spousal concordance in overweight/obesity among married couples in India. Background: The rising prevalence of overweight/obesity is a growing public health concern globally. While spousal concordance in obesity is recognized in developed countries, less is known about this phenomenon in low- and middle-income countries. Understanding the shared risk factors within couples is crucial for effective intervention. Methods: ) cutoff for overweight/obesity (≥23.0) concordance. Descriptive statistics were used to assess sociodemographic characteristics. The log-binomial regression model was used to estimate the adjusted risk ratio (ARR) of spousal concordance in overweight/obesity. Results: Overall, 27.4% of couples exhibited concordance for overweight or obesity. Concordance was more prevalent among couples belonging to the richest wealth quintile (47.6%), residing in urban areas (38.4%), living in nuclear families (28.9%), sharing similar age (28.8%) or higher (28.9%), or having similar education levels (31.4%). Higher concordance was also associated with couples not engaged in paid work (33.9%) and those who frequently used media (newspapers: 39.6%, television: 32.8%) or consumed nonvegetarian foods weekly-eggs (30.7%), chicken (29.9%). Geographically, the highest concordance was observed in the southern (37.2%) and northern (33.5%) regions, with Kerala, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Delhi, Goa, Tamil Nadu, and Punjab reporting the highest state-level prevalence (≥42%). Multivariable analysis showed significantly increased risk of spousal overweight/obesity concordance among couples in the richest wealth quintile (ARR = 4.311; 95% CI: 3.757, 4.947), urban areas (ARR = 1.085; 95% CI: 1.016, 1.159), other religious groups (ARR = 1.185; 95% CI: 1.089, 1.291). Regular consumption of eggs (14%), fish (25%), chicken (9%), fried foods (6%), and alcohol (98%) were also linked to higher concordance. Conclusions: Spousal concordance in overweight/obesity is strongly influenced by shared socioeconomic status, lifestyle behaviors, and dietary patterns. Couples in urban, affluent, media-exposed, and nonvegetarian households are particularly at risk. Public health strategies should prioritize couple-based interventions, especially among high-risk subgroups, to curb the dual burden of overweight/obesity and associated chronic diseases.

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