Abstract The term ‘preconception period’ includes both the period before conception and the interconception period. Many women in low and middleincome countries do not have adequate access to the prenatal care they need. Reproductiveaged women are at risk of iron deficiency because of blood loss from menstruation, poor diet, and frequent pregnancies. It affects children in a family and also brings down house hold economic status. In India, because of low socio economic status and consumption of less caloric food affects the health and nutritional status of woman is adversely affected. So, this study was done to know the nutritional status of preconception women and calories consumption in a district of Karnataka. A total of 770 preconception women were enrolled across the district. Women were identified by simple random method. In the present study, majority of them, (36.6%) were normal below body mass index (BMI), 45.5% had normal BMI and 17.9% of them were overweight. Significant association between BMI and calories intake was found (p=0.038).
Keywords: Preconception; Reproductive Age; Body Mass Index.