Household motor vehicle ownership and obesity among Indian females and males: 2005–2016

Abstract

Background To determine associations between household motor vehicle ownership and obesity among Indian adults. Methods Bivariate and multivariable analyses were conducted using the 2005–2006 and 2015–2016 Indian Demographic and Health surveys, with over 800 000 respondents. Results Obesity prevalence (body mass index ≥25 kg/m2) rose in females (16.87% to 20.35%) and in males (12.55% to 18.74%). In 2005, having both types of vehicles (motorcycle/motor scooter and car) significantly increased the odds of obesity in females (OR, 1.63; 95% CI 1.50 to 1.76) and males (OR, 2.49; 95% CI 2.24 to 2.77) as well as in 2015 (OR, 1.10; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.13 and OR, 1.56; 95% CI 1.45 to 1.68, respectively). The wealthiest were more likely to be obese in 2005 (OR, 14.95; 95% CI 16.06 to 17.12 for females; OR, 12.69; 95% CI 10.17 to 15.70 for males) and in 2015 (OR, 7.69; 95% CI 7.43 to 7.95 for females and OR, 6.40; 95% CI 5.40 to 7.01 for males). Higher education levels, being younger and rural residence were significant protective factors in 2005 and 2015. Conclusions After adjusting for confounders, motor vehicle ownership was significantly associated with obesity at both time points, but the effect of vehicle ownership presents differently by gender. With obesity prevalence increasing in India, policies promoting active vs motorized transport could attenuate this problem.

Is city-level travel time by car associated with individual obesity or diabetes in Latin American cities? Evidence from 178 cities in the SALURBAL project

“…Similarly, a study set in China found that the association between neighbourhood characteristics and individual risk of being overweight among middle-aged and older adults was mediated by the odds of owning a car and spending less time being physically active ( Wang, Feng, et al, 2019 ). Still in the Asian context, a study based in India found that motor vehicle ownership was significantly associated with obesity, particularly for women ( Kellstedt et al, 2021 ), while a study set on rural China found that increases in population density were associated with weight gain through increasing car ownership ( Yin et al, 2022 ).…”