IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0079027.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Are Social Inequalities Widening in Generalised and Abdominal Obesity and Overweight among English Adults?

Author

Listed:
  • Denise Howel
  • Elaine Stamp
  • Thomas J Chadwick
  • Ashley J Adamson
  • Martin White

Abstract

Background: Obesity is now more common in lower socioeconomic groups in developed nations, but the socio-economic patterning of obesity has changed over time. This study examines the time trends in the socioeconomic patterning of generalised and abdominal obesity and overweight in English adults. Methods: Data were from core annual samples of the Health Survey for England 1993–2008, including 155 661 participants aged 18–75 years. The prevalence of generalised and abdominal obesity and overweight was reported as crude and age-adjusted estimates. Binomial regression was used to model measures of obesity and overweight with age, sex, survey years, and two indicators of socioeconomic position: Registrar General’s Social Class (manual and non-manual occupational groups) and relative length of full time education. Trends in socioeconomic patterning were assessed by formal tests for interactions between socioeconomic position measures and survey periods in these models. Results: The prevalence of generalised and abdominal overweight and obesity increased consistently between 1993 and 2008. There were significant differences in the four outcomes between the two socioeconomic position (SEP) groups in men and women, except for generalised and abdominal overweight with social class in men. The prevalence of obesity and overweight across the whole period was higher in subgroups with lower SEP (differences of 0.2% to 9.5%). There was no significant widening of the socioeconomic gradient of most indicators of greater body fat since the early 1990s, except for educational gradient in generalised obesity in men and women (P = 0.001). Conclusions: Substantial social class and education gradients in obesity and overweight are still present in both sexes. However, there is limited evidence that these socioeconomic inequalities have changed since 1993.

Suggested Citation

  • Denise Howel & Elaine Stamp & Thomas J Chadwick & Ashley J Adamson & Martin White, 2013. "Are Social Inequalities Widening in Generalised and Abdominal Obesity and Overweight among English Adults?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(11), pages 1-9, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0079027
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079027
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0079027
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0079027&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0079027?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Franco Sassi & Marion Devaux & Jody Church & Michele Cecchini & Francesca Borgonovi, 2009. "Education and Obesity in Four OECD Countries," OECD Education Working Papers 39, OECD Publishing.
    2. repec:dau:papers:123456789/9988 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Monteiro, C.A. & Conde, W.L. & Popkin, B.M., 2007. "Income-specific trends in obesity in Brazil: 1975-2003," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 97(10), pages 1808-1812.
    4. Galobardes, B. & Costanza, M.C. & Bernstein, M.S. & Delhumeau, C. & Morabia, A., 2003. "Trends in Risk Factors for Lifestyle-Related Diseases by Socioeconomic Position in Geneva, Switzerland, 1993-2000: Health Inequalities Persist," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 93(8), pages 1302-1309.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Carmen R Isasi & Molly Jung & Christina M Parrinello & Robert C Kaplan & Ryung Kim & Noe C Crespo & Patricia Gonzalez & Natalia A Gouskova & Frank J Penedo & Krista M Perreira & Tatiana Perrino & Dani, 2016. "Association of Childhood Economic Hardship with Adult Height and Adult Adiposity among Hispanics/Latinos. The HCHS/SOL Socio-Cultural Ancillary Study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(2), pages 1-9, February.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Rafael M. Tassitano & Robert G. Weaver & Maria Cecília M. Tenório & Keith Brazendale & Michael W. Beets, 2020. "Clusters of non-dietary obesogenic behaviors among adolescents in Brazil: a latent profile analysis," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 65(6), pages 881-891, July.
    2. R Nakamura & L Siciliani, 2010. "Education and Body Mass Index: Evidence from ECHP," Discussion Papers 10/04, Department of Economics, University of York.
    3. Nora Haas & Gerhard Speckbacher, 2017. "Everything Under My Control: CEO Characteristics and the Evaluation of Middle Manager Performance in Small and Medium-Sized Firms," Schmalenbach Business Review, Springer;Schmalenbach-Gesellschaft, vol. 18(2), pages 109-128, May.
    4. Pei-Hsuan Weng & Jen-Hau Chen & Jeng-Min Chiou & Yu-Kang Tu & Ta-Fu Chen & Ming-Jang Chiu & Sung-Chun Tang & Shin-Joe Yeh & Yen-Ching Chen, 2018. "The effect of lifestyle on late-life cognitive change under different socioeconomic status," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(6), pages 1-15, June.
    5. Gillespie, Stuart & Poole, Nigel & van den Bold, Mara & Bhavani, R.V. & Dangour, Alan D. & Shetty, Prakash, 2019. "Leveraging agriculture for nutrition in South Asia: What do we know, and what have we learned?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 3-12.
    6. Rafael M. Tassitano & Robert G. Weaver & Maria Cecília M. Tenório & Keith Brazendale & Michael W. Beets, 0. "Clusters of non-dietary obesogenic behaviors among adolescents in Brazil: a latent profile analysis," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 0, pages 1-11.
    7. Rehana Shrestha & Johannes Flacke & Javier Martinez & Martin Van Maarseveen, 2016. "Environmental Health Related Socio-Spatial Inequalities: Identifying “Hotspots” of Environmental Burdens and Social Vulnerability," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-23, July.
    8. Carlos de Mestral & Pedro Marques-Vidal & Jean-Michel Gaspoz & Jean-Marc Theler & Idris Guessous, 2017. "Independent association between socioeconomic indicators and macro- and micro-nutrient intake in Switzerland," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(4), pages 1-15, April.
    9. Aristides Dos Santos, Anderson Moreira & Triaca, Lívia Madeira & Leivas, Pedro Henrique Soares, 2023. "How is smoking distributed in relation to socioeconomic status? Evidence from Brazil in the years 2013 and 2019," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    10. Sheena E Ramsay & Peter H Whincup & Sarah L Hardoon & Lucy T Lennon & Richard W Morris & S G Wannamethee, 2011. "Social Class Differences in Secular Trends in Established Coronary Risk Factors over 20 Years: A Cohort Study of British Men from 1978–80 to 1998–2000," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(5), pages 1-5, May.
    11. Silvia Stringhini & Brenda Spencer & Pedro Marques-Vidal & Gerard Waeber & Peter Vollenweider & Fred Paccaud & Pascal Bovet, 2012. "Age and Gender Differences in the Social Patterning of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Switzerland: The CoLaus Study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(11), pages 1-9, November.
    12. Radoslaw Panczak & Marcel Zwahlen & Ulrich Woitek & Frank J Rühli & Kaspar Staub, 2014. "Socioeconomic, Temporal and Regional Variation in Body Mass Index among 188,537 Swiss Male Conscripts Born between 1986 and 1992," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(5), pages 1-10, May.
    13. Lidyane V Camelo & Luana Giatti & Jorge Alexandre Barbosa Neves & Paulo A Lotufo & Isabela M Benseñor & Dóra Chor & Rosane Härter Griep & Maria de Jesus Mendes da Fonseca & Pedro Guatimosim Vidigal & , 2014. "Life Course Socioeconomic Position and C-Reactive Protein: Mediating Role of Health-Risk Behaviors and Metabolic Alterations. The Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil)," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(10), pages 1-12, October.
    14. Ana-Lucia Mayén & Idris Guessous & Fred Paccaud & Silvia Stringhini & Pedro Marques-Vidal, 2016. "Educational differences in dietary intake and compliance with dietary recommendations in a Swiss adult population," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 61(9), pages 1059-1067, December.
    15. Antonio Boing & S. Subramanian, 2015. "The influence of area-level education on body mass index, waist circumference and obesity according to gender," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 60(6), pages 727-736, September.
    16. 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.
    17. Hamad, Rita & Elser, Holly & Tran, Duy C. & Rehkopf, David H. & Goodman, Steven N., 2018. "How and why studies disagree about the effects of education on health: A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies of compulsory schooling laws," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 168-178.
    18. Mathieu Roy & Mélissa Généreux & Émélie Laverdière & Alain Vanasse, 2014. "Surveillance of Social and Geographic Inequalities in Housing-Related Issues: The Case of the Eastern Townships, Quebec (Canada)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-20, May.
    19. Bruno Linetzky & Fernando Maio & Daniel Ferrante & Jonatan Konfino & Carlos Boissonnet, 2013. "Sex-stratified socio-economic gradients in physical inactivity, obesity, and diabetes: evidence of short-term changes in Argentina," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 58(2), pages 277-284, April.
    20. Carolina Perez Ferrer & Anne McMunn & Juan A Rivera Dommarco & Eric J Brunner, 2014. "Educational Inequalities in Obesity among Mexican Women: Time-Trends from 1988 to 2012," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(3), pages 1-8, March.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0079027. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.