Caloric requirements above basal levels are directly dependent on the degree of activity. Activity thus becomes a very significant factor in determining the caloric adequacy of the marginal diets consumed by many individuals in technically underdeveloped countries. The present study has examined the situation of energy expenditure and energy balance in women of the reproductive age group. This study was conducted in rural areas of the Varanasi district of Uttar Pradesh state, India. A community-based cross-sectional design was adopted. By multi-stage sampling, 610 women of the reproductive age group (15-49 years) were interviewed with the help of a pre-designed and pre-tested schedule. Dietary intake and energy expenditure were calculated by using 24-hour dietary recall and activities performed by study subjects in the previous 24 hours were recorded. Data were analyzed with the help of SPSS software. The findings of this study revealed that as much as 67.4% of study subjects were in negative energy balance and 32.6% had positive energy balance. The overall energy expenditure for study subjects was 1943.05553.24 kcal/day. There existed a significant association between the energy expenditure of the subjects and their age, type of family, educational status, and socioeconomic class (p<0.001). Negative energy balance was to the extent of 65.3%, 64.7%, 76.8%, and 56.8% in the age group of 15-24, 25-34, 35-44, and ??? 45 years, respectively. This was maximum (73.8%) in illiterate and least (58.5%) in subjects with educational status as graduate and above. As much as 69.4% lower, 81.9% lower-middle, and 72% middle socioeconomic status subjects had negative energy balance. Since negative energy balance in women of reproductive age prevailed in two-thirds of subjects and average calorie intake of the subjects was more than 80 percent of the RDA. A prospective follow-up can be carried out for linking the energy balance of women of the reproductive age group and their nutritional status.
