title: "Impact of stature on non-communicable diseases: evidence based on Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey, 2011 data".
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In this paper, an attempt has been made to explore the relationship between height and occurrence of the non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  For the purpose of analysis, Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS), 2011 data was used. Bivariate analysis along with a Chi-square test was performed to examine association between height and diseases. To measure the impact of stature on diabetes and hypertension, three different logistic regression models (Model I: considering only quartiles of height, Model II: covariates of model I along with demographic variables and Model III: covariates of model II along with clinical variable) were considered.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Occurrence of diabetes and hypertension was found to be inversely related with the height of participants. This inverse association was statistically significant for all three models. After controlling the demographic and clinical variables simultaneously, the odds ratio for highest quartile compared to the lowest quartile was 0.82 with 95% confidence interval (0.69, 0.98) for diabetes; whereas it was 0.72 with 95% confidence interval (0.55, 0.95) for hypertension.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings of this paper indicate that persons with shorter stature are substantially more likely to develop diabetes as well as hypertension. The occurrence of non-communicable diseases like diabetes and hypertension can be reduced by controlling genetic and non-genetic (early-life and childhood) factors that may influence the height.
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, Biostatistics & Informatics, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh. imerfan49@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Md Erfanul
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Hoque
authors.forename: Mahfuzur Rahman
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Khokan
authors.forename: Wasimul
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D001827:Body Height; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors