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Comparative Study
. 2002 Aug;92(8):1299-304.
doi: 10.2105/ajph.92.8.1299.

Sex differences in the association of socioeconomic status with obesity

Jane Wardle  1 , Jo Waller, Martin J Jarvis
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Sex differences in the association of socioeconomic status with obesity

Jane Wardle et al. Am J Public Health. 2002 Aug.

Abstract

Objectives: This study investigated socioeconomic predictors of obesity in men and women.

Methods: Data from the 1996 Health Survey for England were used to compare odds ratios for obesity by education, occupation, and 2 economic markers after control for age, marital status, and ethnicity.

Results: Obesity risk was greater among men and women with fewer years of education and poorer economic circumstances and among women, but not men, of lower occupational status.

Conclusions: Higher educational attainment and higher socioeconomic status were associated with a lower risk of obesity in both men and women, whereas higher occupational status was associated with a lower risk only for women. The implications of these findings for understanding causes and prevention of obesity are discussed.

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