Sex Differences in the Association of Socioeconomic Status With Obesity

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.