Time trends and sex differences in associations between socioeconomic status indicators and overweight-obesity in Mexico (2006–2012)

Abstract

BackgroundAlthough the associations between specific socioeconomic status (SES) indicators and overweight or obesity (OWOB) have been studied in different countries, fewer evidence exists for these associations when multiple SES indicators are considered simultaneously. Furthermore, there are few studies investigating time trends in OWOB and their relation with SES in upper-middle income countries, especially for men. The present study contributes to a better understanding of the nature and evolution of the associations between SES indicators and OWOB in the Mexican adult population.MethodsWe pooled data from the 2006 and 2012 National Health and Nutrition Surveys in Mexico and obtained covariate-adjusted prevalence from a design-based logistic multiple regression model. Covariates included a wealth index, education, occupational status, marital status, and all interactions for each covariate with sex (male/female) and survey year.ResultsFor men, the association between wealth and OWOB remained positive in general but curvature was more evident in 2012. The wealth-OWOB association in women showed an inverted-U pattern at both years with a positive slope that turned into a negative one as wealth increased. Among women, OWOB prevalence at the college/university education level was approximately 12.0 ± 2.4 (percentage points ± standard error) lower compared with the elementary education level. We did not find differences between educational categories for men in 2006, but in 2012 OWOB tended to be higher among the more educated. The prevalence of obesity in women increased at wealth levels from the middle and upper-middle section of the wealth distributions. Overall OWOB prevalence was near 70 % in 2012 for both sexes.ConclusionsAmong Mexican women, the associations between SES indicators and excess body weight were consistent to those found in developed countries. Among Mexican men, higher education was not associated with a lower prevalence of OWOB but the positive association between wealth and OWOB weakened as wealth increased. The overall prevalence of OWOB was very high for both sexes; its reduction should remain a public health priority given the consequences of nutrition-related chronic diseases, disability and health care costs.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-015-2608-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The Relationship of Socioeconomic Status with Body Mass Index Depends on the Socioeconomic Measure Used

“…However, this association disappeared after adjusting for other SES indicators, showing the importance of considering other SES pathways for weight gain. This is consistent with the results reported by Quezada et al by using ENSANUT data for 2006 and 2012 (29). For women, the association between education and BMI has been previously described in Mexico (5,7,8,29), but nearly all studies failed to adjust for other SES indicators.…”

“…The association for 2006 and 2012 was significant for middle and high assets; in 2016, the association held only for the high‐asset group. Studies using the National Health Survey of 2000 and ENSANUT of 2006 and 2012 showed similar associations for men , although other SES indicators, such as insurance coverage, participating in a cash‐transfer program, or ethnicity, were not considered as confounders. In women, assets were not associated with BMI in any of the survey years.…”

Socioeconomic position and markers of adiposity among female teachers in Mexico

“…Nearly 90% of women in the MTC attended college, compared with the 15% of adults in Mexico who have attained tertiary education 32. Our findings of an inverse association of SEP and obesity in this study are consistent with reported associations among larger representative populations of women in the USA,33 Latin America34 and Mexico,35 where between 20% and 50% reductions in obesity risk were observed for women in the highest versus lowest category of education and other SEP indicators. Obesity was also more common among European women with less than primary education compared with those with tertiary education, with relative risks ranging from 1.75 to 6.78 6.…”

Obesity and hypomagnesemia

“…Sample size was estimated based on a statistical power of 80% with a 0.05 alpha value, and combined prevalence of normal-weight (29.5%) and hypomagnesemia (35%) [12,13]. The required sample size was of at least 125 individuals per group.…”