The economic gradient of obesity in Mexico: Independent predictive roles of absolute and relative wealth by gender
File(s)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Esposito, Lucio
Villasenor, Adrian
Cuevas Rodriguez, Enrique
Millett, Christopher
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Despite the vast literature on the economic gradient of obesity, no study investigates the independent predictive roles of absolute and relative standards of living using a large nationally representative adult sample. This gap limits our ability to discern ‘material’ and ‘psychosocial’ pathways to obesity as well as our understanding of the role played by economic inequality in the growing obesity epidemic. Using a large and nationally representative Mexican dataset, we find that absolute wealth and relative deprivation are independently related to obesity, and that such relationships are patterned by sex. Absolute wealth predicts body mass index as well as abdominal obesity according to an inverted-U shape for both sexes, and more markedly so for females. Relative deprivation predicts higher body mass index for females and higher waist circumference for both sexes, with highly relatively deprived females being 24.29% (95% CI [24.26, 24.31]) more likely to be obese and 34.46% (95% CI [34.40,34.53]) more likely to be abdominal obese, and highly relatively deprived males being 14.91% (95% CI [14.88,14.93] more likely to be abdominal obese. Our results offer a new perspective on the economic gradient of obesity and highlight the potential impact of economic inequality, especially for women. Greater awareness of the independent and sex-specific roles of the absolute and relative facets of economic status is needed to better understand and address the obesity epidemic.
Date Issued
2020-04-01
Date Acceptance
2020-02-19
Citation
Social Science and Medicine, 2020, 250, pp.1-9
ISSN
0277-9536
Publisher
Elsevier
Start Page
1
End Page
9
Journal / Book Title
Social Science and Medicine
Volume
250
Copyright Statement
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This manuscript is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000528208000017&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Subjects
Science & Technology
Social Sciences
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Social Sciences, Biomedical
Biomedical Social Sciences
Obesity
Inequality
Gender
Wealth
Relative deprivation
Body mass index
Waist circumference
Mexico
BODY-MASS INDEX
MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES
SUBJECTIVE SOCIAL-STATUS
SOCIOECONOMIC-STATUS
WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE
ABDOMINAL OBESITY
SEX-DIFFERENCES
CUTOFF POINTS
HEALTH-RISKS
DEPRIVATION
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
ARTN 112870
Date Publish Online
2020-02-21