How is socioeconomic status related to obesity?

Among men, obesity prevalence is generally similar at all income levels, with a tendency to be slightly higher at higher income levels. Among women, obesity prevalence increases as income decreases. Most obese adults are not low income (below 130% of the poverty level).

How does low income affect obesity?

Results: Low-income was highly associated with overweight/obese status (p < 0.0001), whereas the effect of race/ethnicity (p = 0.27) and its interaction (p = 0.23) with low-income were not statistically significant. For every 1% increase in low-income, there was a 1.17% increase in overweight/obese status.

How do lower socioeconomic levels correlate with weight gain?

Those in lower socioeconomic position are more likely to gain weight but the associations vary by socioeconomic determinants [5]. According to reviews, low parental socioeconomic position is associated with obesity in adulthood [6] and occupational class has shown the most consistent associations with weight gain [5].

Why is obesity more prevalent in lower socioeconomic groups?

The available evidence suggests that increased energy intake – rather than decreased physical activity – is the main driving force behind the obesity epidemic in lower socioeconomic groups.

How might low income and socioeconomic status affect nutrition and obesity?

Populations with low income may have less access to high quality, nutritious foods (eg, fruits and vegetables), which could result in higher rates of obesity.

What does low socioeconomic status mean?

Low SES usually refers to individuals with low educational achievement and/or low household income. These factors can form into additional everyday stresses for individuals, ultimately leading to risk behaviors, such as tobacco use.

Why is obesity higher in low income families?

There is strong evidence of an income gradient to child obesity in the UK, such that the burden of obesity falls disproportionately on children from poorer backgrounds [4]. Such inequalities are likely explained by differences in lifestyle behaviours including dietary intake [5,6].

What does low socio economic mean?

Each SA1 in Australia receives a SEIFA score which is standardised against a national mean of 1000. All SA1 areas in Australia are then ranked on the basis of their SEIFA scores. Low SES students are defined as those students who live in the bottom 25 per cent of SA1 areas in this ranking.

How does economic factors affect obesity?

Currently, two thirds of US adults are overweight or obese. Results of our study have shown an increased rate of obesity that may be linked to several socioeconomic factors, such as poverty, receipt of SNAP, unemployment and income. The highest obesity rates were found among African Americans compared to Whites.

What’s a lower socioeconomic background?

What does “low socio-economic background” (low SEB) mean? Socio-economic background takes account of social and economic factors including parents’ educational qualifications, parents’ occupations, household income, the level of reliance on government income support and the level of household overcrowding.

Is poverty a socioeconomic status?

Socioeconomic status can encompass quality of life attributes as well as the opportunities and privileges afforded to people within society. Poverty, specifically, is not a single factor but rather is characterized by multiple physical and psychosocial stressors.

What is the relationship between obesity and socioeconomic status?

The relationship between obesity and socioeconomic status differs by sex and race and ethnicity group. Among women, and specifically non-Hispanic white women, obesity prevalence increases as income (PIR) decreases, while among non-Hispanic black and Mexican-American men obesity prevalence decreases as income (PIR) decreases.

Does obesity primarily affect the poor or the rich in developing countries?

Introduction In developed countries, obesity is widely considered a condition that affects people of lower socioeconomic status (SES) more so than those of higher SES (1). In developing countries, however, the debate continues as to whether obesity primarily affects the poor or the rich.

Are women with higher socioeconomic status more likely to be overweight?

For women, out of 12 studies undertaken in low-income countries, eleven (>90%) reported that women with higher SES were more likely to be overweight/obese. On the other hand, out of 15 studies undertaken in the middle-income countries, 11(73%) reported a higher level of obesity among the lower-SES individuals.

Why is obesity more common in low-income groups?

The obesity of lower SES individuals is more central than that for individuals from higher socioeconomic position. It is also proposed that the quality of food seems to be lower, with more intake of fat and simple carbohydrates and less of fruits, vegetables and whole wheat bread, in the more disadvantaged social classes.