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Educational level, relative body weight, and changes in their association over 10 years: An international perspective from the WHO MONICA Project

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  • Molarius, A.
  • Seidell, J.C.
  • Sans, S.
  • Tuomilehto, J.
  • Kuulasmaa, K.

Abstract

Objectives. This study assessed the consistency and magnitude of the association between educational level and relative body weight in populations with widely different prevalences of over-weight and investigated possible changes in the association over 10 years. Methods. Differences in age- adjusted mean body mass index (BMI) between the highest and the lowest tertiles of years of schooling were calculated for 26 populations in the initial and final surveys of the World Health Organization (WHO) MONICA (Monitoring Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Disease) Project. The data are derived from random population samples, including more than 42 000 men and women aged 35 to 64 years in the initial survey (1979-1989) and almost 35000 in the final survey (1989-1996). Results. For women, almost all populations showed a statistically significant inverse association between educational level and BMI; the difference between the highest and the lowest educational tertiles ranged from -3.3 to 0.4 kg/m2. For men, the difference ranged from -1.5 to 2.2 kg/m2. In about two thirds of the populations, the differences in BMI between the educational levels increased over the 10-year period. Conclusion. Lower education was associated with higher BMI in about half of the male and in almost all of the female populations, and the differences in relative body weight between educational levels increased over the study period. Thus, socioeconomic inequality in health consequences of obesity may increase in many countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Molarius, A. & Seidell, J.C. & Sans, S. & Tuomilehto, J. & Kuulasmaa, K., 2000. "Educational level, relative body weight, and changes in their association over 10 years: An international perspective from the WHO MONICA Project," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 90(8), pages 1260-1268.
  • Handle: RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:2000:90:8:1260-1268_9
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    Cited by:

    1. Komlos, John & Baur, Marieluise, 2004. "From the tallest to (one of) the fattest: the enigmatic fate of the American population in the 20th century," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 2(1), pages 57-74, March.
    2. Philippe Batifoulier & Denis Abecassis & Nicolas da Silva & Victor Duchesne & Léonard Moulin, 2016. "L’utilité sociale de la dépense publique," Working Papers hal-01421197, HAL.
    3. Cohen, Alison K. & Rehkopf, David H. & Deardorff, Julianna & Abrams, Barbara, 2013. "Education and obesity at age 40 among American adults," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 34-41.
    4. Philippe Batifoulier & Denis Abecassis & Nicolas da Silva & Victor Duchesne & Léonard Moulin, 2016. "L’utilité sociale de la dépense publique," CEPN Working Papers hal-01421197, HAL.
    5. Pampel, Fred C. & Denney, Justin T. & Krueger, Patrick M., 2012. "Obesity, SES, and economic development: A test of the reversal hypothesis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(7), pages 1073-1081.
    6. Amina Aitsi-Selmi & Tarani Chandola & Sharon Friel & Reza Nouraei & Martin J Shipley & Michael G Marmot, 2012. "Interaction between Education and Household Wealth on the Risk of Obesity in Women in Egypt," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(6), pages 1-8, June.
    7. Cécile Knai & Tim Lobstein & Nicole Darmon & Harry Rutter & Martin McKee, 2012. "Socioeconomic Patterning of Childhood Overweight Status in Europe," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-18, April.
    8. Adrien Boillot & Bechara El Halabi & George David Batty & Hélène Rangé & Sébastien Czernichow & Philippe Bouchard, 2011. "Education as a Predictor of Chronic Periodontitis: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis Population-Based Studies," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(7), pages 1-9, July.
    9. Wilkinson, Richard G. & Pickett, Kate E., 2007. "The problems of relative deprivation: Why some societies do better than others," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 65(9), pages 1965-1978, November.

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