Socioeconomic Status and Adiposity in Childhood: A Systematic Review of Cross‐sectional Studies 1990–2005

Objective: Given the rapid increase in the prevalence of childhood obesity, identifying the sociodemographic influences on obesity status is important for planning and implementing effective prevention initiatives. However, this type of data is limited for Greek children. Therefore the aim of the present study was to identify possible sociodemographic factors associated with childhood obesity at the national level. Design: Cross-sectional, population-based survey, carried out from October to May 2009. Setting: Under the context of the GRECO (Greek Childhood Obesity) study, a nationwide sample of 2315 primary-school children. Subjects: Children aged 10-12 years and their parents were voluntarily enrolled. Direct anthropometric measurements of the children were obtained and information on sociodemographic characteristics of the parents, as well as their self-reported values of body weight and height, were collected. Results: Overweight and obesity prevalence was 29?5 % and 13?1 %, respectively, among boys; 29?5 % and 9?0 %, respectively, among girls. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the most important sociodemographic predictors of childhood obesity were mother's age, parental BMI classification and father's type of occupation. More specifically, increased mother's age and normal BMI status of the parents seemed to have a protective effect on the likelihood of having an overweight/obese child. Additionally, the odds of a female child of being overweight/obese were reduced when the father's type of occupation tended to be less manual. Conclusions: Anti-obesity health policy interventions have to address to the parents and promote their active involvement, to effectively confront the alarming magnitude of the paediatric obesity problem in Greece.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Socio-economic and demographic determinants of childhood obesity prevalence in Greece: the GRECO (Greek Childhood Obesity) study

Farajian

Panagiotakos

Risvas

et al. 2012

“…Negative associations between SEP and body weight in high-income countries have also been observed in childhood (20,21) . Moreover, during the next few decades inequalities in obesity are predicted to widen in some countries (22) .…”

Section: Current Evidence On Socio-economic Inequalities In Diet and mentioning

confidence: 94%

Socio-economic inequalities in diet and body weight: evidence, causes and intervention options

Turrell

Vandevijvere

2015

Socioeconomic inequalities in diet and body weight: evidence, causes and intervention options Diets low in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and high in saturated fat, salt and sugar, are the major contributors to the burden of chronic diseases globally (1). Previous research, and studies in this issue of Public Health Nutrition, show that unhealthy diets are more commonly observed among socioeconomically disadvantaged groups and are key contributors to their higher rates of chronic disease (2-4). Most research examining socioeconomic inequalities in diet and body weight has been descriptive and has focused on identifying the nature, extent and direction of the inequalities. These types of studies are clearly necessary and important. We need, however, to move beyond description of the problem and focus much more on the question of why inequalities in diet and body weight exist. Furthering our understanding of this question will provide the necessary evidence base to develop effective interventions to reduce the inequalities. The challenge of tackling dietary inequalities, however, does not finish here: a maximally effective approach will also require equity-based policies that address the unequal population distribution of social and economic resources, which is the fundamental rootcause of dietary and body weight inequalities. Current evidence on socioeconomic inequalities in diet and body weight

“…This pattern was not clearly visible in the paediatric population in the past (18) ; however it has become more apparent in the last 15 years (19) . In our study, the XXL family was characterized by a lower educational status of both parents, whereas the mother's tertiary education seemed to act as a protective factor against a family becoming overweight.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

The profile of the Greek ‘XXL’ family

Christoforidis

Batzios

Sidiropoulos

et al. 2011

Objective: To identify Greek families in which all members were overweight or obese (XXL families) and to describe their profile with regard to their socioeconomic status and their eating behaviours and practices. Design: A prospective cohort study. Setting: The metropolitan area of Kavala. Subjects: We recruited children aged 11 and 12 years from twelve primary schools, and their parents, from volunteers. Auxologic measurements of the children included height and weight. A structured questionnaire pertaining to information on the socio-economic status of the family, anthropometric values and educational status of parents, dietary habits and the availability of various food products and beverages at home, as well as dietary intake, physical activity, time spent sleeping and time spent watching television, was filled in by one of the parents of each child. A total of 331 families finally participated. Results: In sixty-one families (18?43 %) both parents and child were either overweight or obese (XXL family), and in seven of these families all members were obese. Only twenty-eight families (8?46 %) had all members with a normal BMI. The XXL family was associated with lower educational status of both parents, whereas a higher percentage of XXL families resided in rural areas and had lower income. Skipping breakfast and spending more than 3 h in front of a screen every day were more frequently observed in XXL families. With regard to the availability of various food products and beverages at home, no significant differences were observed between XXL families and the rest of the studied families. Conclusions: Greek XXL families have lower educational status and lower annual income.