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Published on: February 2, 2017
Sex differences in the association of socioeconomic status with obesity
Jane Wardle1, Jo Waller, Martin J Jarvis
1Cancer Research UK Health Behavior Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, England. j.wardle@ucl.ac.uk
Objectives:
This study investigated socioeconomic predictors of obesity in men and women.
Methods:
Data from the 1996 Health Survey for England were used to compare odds ratios for obesity by education, occupation, and 2 economic markers after control for age, marital status, and ethnicity.
Results:
Obesity risk was greater among men and women with fewer years of education and poorer economic circumstances and among women, but not men, of lower occupational status.
Conclusions:
Higher educational attainment and higher socioeconomic status were associated with a lower risk of obesity in both men and women, whereas higher occupational status was associated with a lower risk only for women. The implications of these findings for understanding causes and prevention of obesity are discussed.
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