Document Detail


Socioeconomic status, sex, and obesity in a large national cohort of 15-87-year-old open university students in Thailand.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  19934589     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
BACKGROUND: As obesity increases, middle-income countries are undergoing a health-risk transition. We examine the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and emerging obesity in Thailand, and ascertain if an inverse relationship between SES and obesity has appeared. METHODS: The data derived from 87 134 individuals (54% female; median age, 29 years) in a national cohort of distance-learning Open University students aged 15-87 years and living throughout Thailand. We calculated adjusted odds ratios for associations of SES with obesity (body mass index, >or=25) across 3 age groups by sex, after controlling for marital status, age, and urbanization. RESULTS: Obesity increased with age and was more prevalent among males than females (22.7% vs 9.9%); more females were underweight (21.8% vs 6.2%). Annual income was 2000 to 3000 US dollars for most participants. High SES, defined by education, income, household assets, and housing type, associated strongly with obesity-positively for males and inversely for females-especially for participants younger than 40 years. The OR for obesity associated with income was as high as 1.54 for males and as low as 0.68 for females (P for trend <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our national Thai cohort has passed a tipping point and assumed a pattern seen in developed countries, ie, an inverse association between SES and obesity in females. We expect the overall population of Thailand to follow this pattern, as education spreads and incomes rise. A public health problem of underweight females could emerge. Recognition of these patterns is important for programs combating obesity. Many middle income countries are undergoing similar transitions.
Authors:
Sam-ang Seubsman; Lynette L-Y Lim; Cathy Banwell; Nintita Sripaiboonkit; Matthew Kelly; Christopher Bain; Adrian C Sleigh
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't     Date:  2009-11-21
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of epidemiology / Japan Epidemiological Association     Volume:  20     ISSN:  1349-9092     ISO Abbreviation:  J Epidemiol     Publication Date:  2010  
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-01-06     Completed Date:  2010-03-05     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  9607688     Medline TA:  J Epidemiol     Country:  Japan    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  13-20     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Thai Health-Risk Transition Project, School of Human Ecology, Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, Nonthaburi, Thailand. sam-ang.seubsman@anu.edu.au
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Cohort Studies
Education, Distance
Female
Health Status Disparities*
Health Transition*
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Obesity / epidemiology*
Odds Ratio
Risk Factors
Sex Factors
Social Class
Socioeconomic Factors
Thailand / epidemiology
Young Adult
Grant Support
ID/Acronym/Agency:
//Wellcome Trust

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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