Which term includes undernutrition (wasting, stunting, underweight), inadequate vitamins or minerals, overweight, obesity, and resulting diet-related noncommunicable diseases?

• A. Disparity
• B. Health Disparity
• C. Rural
• D. Malnutrition

Answer: (D)

The concept being tested is the broad term that covers all forms of poor nutritional status and their diet-related consequences. Malnutrition includes undernutrition such as wasting, stunting, and being underweight, as well as inadequate vitamins or minerals, and it also covers overweight and obesity along with diet-related noncommunicable diseases. This umbrella term is used because both too little and too much or imbalanced nutrient intake can lead to health problems, and they are all rooted in nutrition, not in geographic or social descriptors. Disparity and health disparity refer to unequal health outcomes across groups, not to a nutritional status category. Rural describes a geographic area and not a nutrition condition.