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Obesity Inequalities According to Place of Birth: The Role of Education

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  • Elena Rodriguez-Alvarez

    (Department of Nursing I, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, Spain
    OPIK-Research Group for Social Determinants of Health and Demographic Change, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, Spain)

  • Nerea Lanborena

    (Department of Nursing I, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, Spain
    OPIK-Research Group for Social Determinants of Health and Demographic Change, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, Spain)

  • Luisa N. Borrell

    (OPIK-Research Group for Social Determinants of Health and Demographic Change, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, Spain
    Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy, City University of New York, New York, NY 10027, USA)

Abstract

This study examined obesity inequalities according to place of birth and educational attainment in men and in women in Spain. A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the Spanish National Health Survey 2011–2012 and from the European Health Survey in Spain 2014. We used data for 27,720 adults aged 18–64 years of whom 2431 were immigrants. We used log-binomial regression to quantify the association of place of birth with obesity before and after adjusting for the selected characteristics in women and in men. We found a greater probability of obesity in immigrant women (PR: 1.42; 95% CI: 1.22–1.64) and a lower probability of obesity in immigrant men (PR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.59–0.89) relative to natives after adjustment. Significant heterogeneity was observed for the association of place of birth and obesity according to education in men ( p -interactions = 0.002): Men with lower educational levels (PR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.26–0.83) have a protective effect against obesity compared with their native counterparts. This study suggests that place of birth may affect obesity in women and in men. However, this effect may be compounded with education differently for women and men.

Suggested Citation

  • Elena Rodriguez-Alvarez & Nerea Lanborena & Luisa N. Borrell, 2018. "Obesity Inequalities According to Place of Birth: The Role of Education," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-10, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:8:p:1620-:d:161015
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sanchez-Vaznaugh, Emma V. & Kawachi, Ichiro & Subramanian, S.V. & Sánchez, Brisa N. & Acevedo-Garcia, Dolores, 2008. "Differential effect of birthplace and length of residence on body mass index (BMI) by education, gender and race/ethnicity," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 67(8), pages 1300-1310, October.
    2. Susan L. Averett, 2019. "Obesity and labor market outcomes," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 1-32, August.
    3. repec:cai:poeine:pope_704_0709 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. repec:dau:papers:123456789/9988 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. repec:iza:izawol:journl:y:2014:p:32 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Elena Vidal-Coso & Pau Miret-Gamundi, 2014. "The labour trajectories of immigrant women in Spain: Are there signs of upward social mobility?," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 31(13), pages 337-380.
    7. Dunlavy, A.C. & Garcy, A.M. & Rostila, M., 2016. "Educational mismatch and health status among foreign-born workers in Sweden," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 36-44.
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