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Published on: July 29, 2020
Educational attainment and obesity: a systematic review
A K Cohen1, M Rai, D H Rehkopf
1Division of Epidemiology, University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, Berkeley, California, USA.
Summary
Educational attainment
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Social Sciences
- Global Health
Background:
- Previous reviews on socioeconomic status and obesity exist.
- This review focuses on educational attainment, a distinct factor.
- Nearly 200 articles published since the last review.
Purpose of the Study:
- Systematically review global literature on education and obesity.
- Analyze the association between educational attainment and obesity.
- Identify factors modifying this relationship.
Main Methods:
- Searched medical, public health, social science, and economics databases.
- Included articles in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.
- Synthesized data from 289 articles covering 410 populations in 91 countries.
Main Results:
- The association between education and obesity varies by gender and country income.
- Inverse association common in high-income countries; positive in low-income.
- Stronger social patterning observed among women.
Conclusions:
- Education's link to obesity is complex and context-dependent.
- More research needed in lower-income countries and on causality.
- Education policy may be a tool for obesity prevention.
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