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Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity Management: A Case Report
Published on: May 30, 2025
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Socioeconomic status and obesity
1Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. lmclaren@ucalgary.ca
Epidemiologic Reviews
|May 5, 2007
Summary
Global socioeconomic development influences the relationship between socioeconomic status and obesity. As countries develop, obesity becomes less associated with lower socioeconomic status, highlighting its social determinants.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Sociology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Obesity is a complex health issue with socioeconomic determinants.
- Previous reviews, like Sobal and Stunkard (1989), established links between socioeconomic status (SES) and obesity.
- Globalization and changing economic landscapes necessitate an updated review.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an updated review of the literature on the relationship between SES and obesity.
- To analyze how this relationship varies across different levels of national socioeconomic development.
- To examine the influence of different SES indicators on obesity prevalence.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature search of diverse databases (CINAHL, ERIC, MEDLINE, Social Science Abstracts) from 1988-2004.
- Inclusion of 333 published studies, analyzing 1,914 cross-sectional associations.
- Systematic review and synthesis of findings based on national development levels and SES indicators.
Main Results:
- A global trend shows decreasing negative associations (lower SES linked to higher obesity) and increasing positive associations as national socioeconomic development decreases.
- The association between SES and obesity varies by indicator: education/occupation in high-income nations, income/possessions in lower-income nations.
- Observed patterns were less pronounced than in previous reviews, potentially due to globalization.
Conclusions:
- Obesity is a social phenomenon influenced by economic and sociocultural factors.
- Interventions should address both economic and sociocultural determinants of obesity.
- The SES-obesity relationship is dynamic and context-dependent, evolving with global socioeconomic changes.
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