[Socioeconomic determinism of obesity in the Seine-Saint-Denis area]

Obesity is a complex multi-factorial disease. The role of socioeconomic factors is known but few studies have attempted to analyse separately the impact of the various participating factors: oncome, level of education, cultural and social status.

These factors were analysed in 26,278 persons aging from 16 to 59 years, living in the district and having benefited from a medical check-up in the Seine-Saint-Denis health and social prevention centre, district particularly concerned by socio-economic insecurity. Among these persons, a representative sample of 1804 filled-in an additional questionnaire including questions on their income, level of education, marital status and the area or country of origin.

The prevalence of obesity (body mass index or BMI > or = 30 kg/m2) and overweight (MCI = 25 to 29.9 kg/m2) was respectively of 17.6 and 32.7%. Using univariate analysis, the prevalence of obesity was significantly associated with age, gender (higher in women), settled way of life, socio-professional category, low education, marital status and origin (higher in persons from Africa and North Africa). Using a logistic regression model, the risk of obesity was increased 1.45-fold in persons earning less than 838,47 euros and 1.67-fold in persons with low education. Moreover, it was 2.28-fold greater in the un-working population, 1.62-fold in the redundant and 1.5-fold in the working class, compared with the executive-freelance population.

The risk of obesity is therefore independently related to cultural, economic and social parameters.