Unevenly distributed: A systematic review of the health literature about socioeconomic inequalities in adult obesity in the United Kingdom

BMC Public Health

Volumn 12, Issue 1, 2012, Pages

  El Sayed, Abdulrahman M ^a,b,c   Scarborough, Peter ^a   Galea, Sandro ^b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD   (United Kingdom)

^b Och Spine at New York Presbyterian Hospitals   (United States)

^c NONE   (United States)

Author keywords

Adiposity; Deprivation; Disparities; Education; England; Income; Northern Ireland; Overweight; Scotland; Social class; Socioeconomic position; Socioeconomic status; Wales

Indexed keywords

ADULT; ECONOMICS; FEMALE; HEALTH DISPARITY; HUMAN; MALE; OBESITY; REVIEW; SOCIAL CLASS; UNITED KINGDOM;

ADULT; FEMALE; GREAT BRITAIN; HEALTH STATUS DISPARITIES; HUMANS; MALE; OBESITY; SOCIAL CLASS; YOUNG ADULT;

EID: 84855472773     PISSN: None     EISSN: 14712458     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-12-18     Document Type: Review

References (95)

1. Tackling Obesities: future choices-modelling future trends in obesity and the impact on health. McPherson K, Marsh T, Brown M, Foresight: The J of Futures Studies, Strategic Thinking and Policy 2007
2. Data Briefing: Adult Weight. National Obesity Observatory, Oxford, England: National Obesity Observatory 2010
3. Overweight and obesity as determinants of cardiovascular risk: the Framingham experience. Wilson PW, D'Agostino RB, Sullivan L, Parise H, Kannel WB, Arch Intern Med 2002 162 16 1867 10.1001/archinte.162.16.1867 12196085
4. Causes and consequences of adult obesity: health, social and economic impacts in the United States. Wellman NS, Friedberg B, Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 2002 11 S8 705 709 10.1046/j.1440-6047.11.s8.6.x 12534694
5. Risks and consequences of childhood and adolescent obesity. Must A, Strauss RS, Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1999 23 2 11 10455464
6. Prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and obesity-related health risk factors, 2001. Mokdad AH, Ford ES, Bowman BA, Dietz WH, Vinicor F, Bales VS, Marks JS, JAMA 2003 289 1 76 9 10.1001/jama.289.1.76 12503980 (Pubitemid 36026281)
7. Veer P, Kampman E, Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective Washington, DC: World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research 2007
8. Overweight, obesity, and mortality from cancer in a prospectively studied cohort of US adults. Calle EE, Rodriguez C, Walker-Thurmond K, Thun MJ, N England J Med 2003 348 17 1625 38 10.1056/NEJMoa021423 (Pubitemid 36459468)
9. Obesity and cancer risk: a Danish record-linkage study. Møller H, Mellemgaard A, Lindvig K, Olsen JH, Eur J Cancer 1994 30 3 344 50 10.1016/0959-8049(94)90254-2 (Pubitemid 24152476)
10. Abdominal obesity and risk of ischemic stroke: the Northern Manhattan Stroke Study. Suk SH, Sacco RL, Boden-Albala B, Cheun JF, Pittman JG, Elkind MS, Paik MC, Northern Manhattan Stroke Study, Stroke 2003 34 7 1586 92 10.1161/01.STR.0000075294.98582.2F 12775882 (Pubitemid 36842606)
11. Is obesity associated with major depression? Results from the third national health and nutrition examination survey. Onyike CU, Crum RM, Lee HB, Lyketsos CG, Eaton WW, Am J Epidemiol 2003 158 12 1139 47 10.1093/aje/kwg275 14652298 (Pubitemid 37548783)
12. Excess deaths associated with underweight, overweight, and obesity. Flegal KM, Graubard BI, Williamson DF, Gail MH, JAMA 2005 293 15 1861 7 10.1001/jama.293.15.1861 15840860 (Pubitemid 40548182)
13. Childhood obesity and adult cardiovascular mortality: a 57-y follow-up study based on the Boyd Orr cohort. Gunnell DJ, Frankel SJ, Nanchahal K, Peters TJ, Davey Smith G, Am J Clin Nutr 1998 67 6 1111 8 9625081 (Pubitemid 28259495)
14. Socioeconomic inequalities in health in 22 European countries. Mackenbach JP, Stirbu I, Roskam A-R, Schaap MM, Menvielle G, Leinsalu M, Kunst AE, European Union Working Group on Socioeconomic Inequalities in Health, New England J Med 2008 358 23 2468 10.1056/NEJMsa0707519 (Pubitemid 351793020)
15. Health inequalities among British civil servants: the Whitehall II study. Marmot MG, Smith GD, Stansfield S, Patel C, North F, Head J, White I, Brunner E, Feeney A, Lancet 1991 337 8754 1387 93 10.1016/0140-6736(91)93068-K 1674771
16. Fair Society, Health Lives, Strategic Review of the Health Inequalities in England post-2010 London: The Marmot Review 2010
17. Widening socioeconomic inequalities in mortality in six Western European countries. Mackenbach JP, Bos V, Andersen O, Cardano M, Costa G, Harding S, Reid A, Hemstrom O, Valkonen T, Kunst AE, Int J Epidemiol 2003 32 5 830 7 10.1093/ije/dyg209 14559760 (Pubitemid 37304650)
18. When does cardiovascular risk start? Past and present socioeconomic circumstances and risk factors in adulthood. Brunner E, Shipley MJ, Blane D, Smith GD, Marmot MG, J Epidemiol Community Health 1999 53 12 757 64 10.1136/jech.53.12.757 10656084
19. BMI, obesity, and sickness absence in the Whitehall II study. Ferrie JE, Head J, Shipley MJ, Vahtera J, Marmot MG, Kivimaki M, Obesity (Silver Spring) 2007 15 6 1554 64 10.1038/oby.2007.184 (Pubitemid 47110919)
20. The influence of childhood weight and socioeconomic status on change in adult body mass index in a British national birth cohort. Hardy R, Wadsworth M, Kuh D, Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2000 24 6 725 734 10.1038/sj.ijo.0801238 10878679 (Pubitemid 30339270)
21. Risk factors in the Midspan family study by social class in childhood and adulthood. Hart C, McConnachie A, Upton M, Watt G, Int J Epidemiol 2008 37 3 604 614 10.1093/ije/dyn052 18356195 (Pubitemid 351804015)
22. Birth weight, childhood growth and abdominal obesity in adult life. Kuh D, Hardy R, Chaturvedi N, Wadsworth ME, Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2002 26 1 40 47 10.1038/sj.ijo.0801861 11791145 (Pubitemid 34098668)
23. Socioeconomic status and weight change in adults: a review. Ball K, Crawford D, Soc Sci Med 2005 60 1987 2010 10.1016/j.socscimed.2004.08.056 15743649 (Pubitemid 40311719)
24. Socioeconomic status and obesity. McLaren L, Epidemiol Rev 2007 29 29 48 10.1093/epirev/mxm001 17478442 (Pubitemid 47229637)
25. Trends in overweight and obesity among 5-7-year-old White and South Asian children born between 1991 and 1999. Balakrishnan R, Webster P, Sinclair D, J Public Health (Oxf) 2008 30 2 139 144 10.1093/pubmed/fdn013
26. Prevalence of overweight and obesity among young people in Great Britain. Jebb SA, Rennie KL, Cole TJ, Public Health Nutr 2004 7 3 461 465 15153277 (Pubitemid 39277058)
27. Factors associated with weight for height and skinfold thickness in British children. Duran-Tauleria E, Rona RJ, Chinn S, J Epidemiol Community Health 1995 49 5 466 473 10.1136/jech.49.5.466 7499988
28. National Study of Health and Growth: social and biological factors associated with weight-for-height and triceps skinfold of children from ethnic groups in England. Rona RJ, Chinn S, Ann Hum Biol 1987 14 3 231 248 10.1080/03014468700009001 3662425
29. Trends in growth and obesity in ethnic groups in Britain. Chinn S, Hughes JM, Rona RJ, Arch Dis Child 1998 78 6 513 517 10.1136/adc.78.6.513 9713005 (Pubitemid 28274691)
30. Association of cardiovascular disease risk factors with socioeconomic position during childhood and during adulthood. Blane D, Hart CL, Smith GD, Gillis CR, Hole DJ, Hawthorne VM, BMJ 1996 313 7070 1434 1438 10.1136/bmj.313.7070.1434 8973230 (Pubitemid 26408030)
31. The association between father's social class and adult obesity is not explained by educational attainment and an unhealthy lifestyle in adulthood. Heraclides A, Witte D, Brunner EJ, Eur J Epidemiol 2008 23 8 573 579 10.1007/s10654-008-9245-3 18409006
32. Central and total obesity in middle aged men and women in relation to lifetime socioeconomic status: evidence from a national birth cohort. Langenberg C, Hardy R, Kuh D, Brunner E, Wadsworth M, J Epidemiol Community Health 2003 57 10 816 822 10.1136/jech.57.10.816 14573589 (Pubitemid 37260322)
33. Childhood socioeconomic position, educational attainment, and adult cardiovascular risk factors: the Aberdeen children of the 1950s cohort study. Lawlor DA, Batty GD, Morton SM, Clark H, Macintyre S, Leon DA, Am J Public Health 2005 95 7 1245 1251 10.2105/AJPH.2004.041129 15983276 (Pubitemid 40880875)
34. Childhood social class and adulthood obesity: findings from the Glasgow Alumni Cohort. Okasha M, McCarron P, McEwen J, Durnin J, Davey Smith G, J Epidemiol Community Health 2003 57 7 508 509 10.1136/jech.57.7.508 12821695 (Pubitemid 36782965)
35. Age at menarche and adult BMI in the Aberdeen children of the 1950s cohort study. Pierce MB, Leon DA, Am J Clin Nutr 2005 82 4 733 739 16210700 (Pubitemid 43779684)
36. Social differences in health: life-cycle effects between ages 23 and 33 in the 1958 British birth cohort. Power C, Hertzman C, Matthews S, Manor O, Am J Public Health 1997 87 9 1499 1503 10.2105/AJPH.87.9.1499 9314803
37. Social class and changes in weight-for-height between childhood and early adulthood. Power C, Moynihan C, Int J Obes 1988 12 5 445 453 3235263 (Pubitemid 18263512)
38. Child to adult socioeconomic conditions and obesity in a national cohort. Power C, Manor O, Matthews S, Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2003 27 9 1081 1086 10.1038/sj.ijo.0802323 12917714 (Pubitemid 37059614)
39. The contribution of childhood and adult socioeconomic position to adult obesity and smoking behaviour: an international comparison. Power C, Graham H, Due P, Hallqvist J, Joung I, Kuh D, Lynch J, Int J Epidemiol 2005 34 2 335 344 10.1093/ije/dyh394 15659473 (Pubitemid 40645320)
40. Life-course influences on health in British adults: effects of socio-economic position in childhood and adulthood. Power C, Atherton K, Strachan DP, Shepherd P, Fuller E, Davis A, Gibb I, Kumari M, Lowe G, MacFarlane GJ, Rahi J, Rodgers B, Stansfield S, Int J Epidemiol 2007 36 3 532 539 10.1093/ije/dyl310 17255345 (Pubitemid 47244550)
41. Influence of fathers' social class on cardiovascular disease in middle-aged men. Wannamethee SG, Whincup PH, Shaper G, Walker M, Lancet 1996 348 9037 1259 1263 10.1016/S0140-6736(96)02465-8 8909377 (Pubitemid 26377236)
42. Socioeconomic differences in weight gain and determinants and consequences of coronary risk factors. Martikainen PT, Marmot MG, Am J Clin Nutr 1999 69 4 719 726 10197574 (Pubitemid 29193396)
43. Health and deprivation. Inequality and the North. Townsend P, "Classic Texts in Health Care" Oxford: Reed Educational and Professional Publishing, Ltd, Soothill K, Mackay L, Malia L, 1997
44. Mid-term Body Mass Index increase among obese and non-obese individuals in middle life and deprivation status: a cohort study. Lyratzopoulos G, McElduff P, Heller RF, Hanily M, Lewis PS, BMC Public Health 2005 5 32 10.1186/1471-2458-5-32 15811178 (Pubitemid 40958318)
45. Social and biological pathways linking early life and adult disease. Power C, Hertzman C, Br Med Bull 1997 53 1 210 221 9158295 (Pubitemid 27129188)
46. Haemostatic and other risk factors for ischaemic heart disease and social class: evidence from the Caerphilly and Speedwell studies. Baker IA, Sweetnam PM, Yarnell JW, Bainton D, Elwood PC, Int J Epidemiol 1988 17 4 759 765 10.1093/ije/17.4.759 3225082 (Pubitemid 19042014)
47. Ethnic and socio-economic inequalities in coronary heart disease, diabetes and risk factors in Europeans and South Asians. Bhopal R, Hayes L, White M, Unwin N, Harland J, Ayis S, Alberti G, J Public Health Med 2002 24 2 95 105 10.1093/pubmed/24.2.95 12141592 (Pubitemid 34712385)
48. Social inequality in coronary risk: central obesity and the metabolic syndrome. Evidence from the Whitehall II study. Brunner EJ, Marmot MG, Nanchahal K, Shipley MJ, Stansfeld SA, Juneja M, Alberti KG, Diabetologia 1997 40 11 1341 1349 10.1007/s001250050830 9389428 (Pubitemid 27469676)
49. Does area of residence affect body size and shape? Ellaway A, Anderson A, Macintyre S, Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1997 21 4 304 308 10.1038/sj.ijo.0800405 9130028 (Pubitemid 27158309)
50. Diet, smoking, social class, and body mass index in the Caerphilly Heart Disease Study. Fehily AM, Phillips KM, Yarnell JW, Am J Clin Nutr 1984 40 4 827 833 6486090 (Pubitemid 14014418)
51. Trends in body mass index in young adults in England and Scotland from 1973 to 1988. Gulliford MC, Rona RJ, Chinn S, J Epidemiol Community Health 1992 46 3 187 190 10.1136/jech.46.3.187 1645068
52. Demographic and lifestyle predictors of body mass index among offshore oil industry workers: cross-sectional and longitudinal findings. Parkes KR, Occup Med (Lond) 2003 53 3 213 221 10.1093/occmed/kqg037 (Pubitemid 36582388)
53. Co-occurrence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease by social class: 1958 British birth cohort. Power C, Atherton K, Manor O, J Epidemiol Community Health 2008 62 12 1030 1035 10.1136/jech.2007.068817 19008367
54. National study of health and growth: social and family factors and overweight in English and Scottish parents. Rona RJ, Morris RW, Ann Hum Biol 1982 9 2 147 156 10.1080/03014468200005611 7081947 (Pubitemid 12101484)
55. The North-south gap in overweight and obesity in England. Scarborough P, Allender S, Br J Nutr 2008 100 3 677 684 18257942
56. Fat nation: deciphering the distinctive geographies of obesity in England. Moon G, Quarendon G, Barnard S, Twigg L, Blyth B, Soc Sci Med 2007 65 1 20 31 10.1016/j.socscimed.2007.02.046 17467130 (Pubitemid 46874715)
57. Sex differences in the association of socioeconomic status with obesity. Wardle J, Waller J, Jarvis MJ, Am J Public Health 2002 92 8 1299 1304 10.2105/AJPH.92.8.1299 12144988 (Pubitemid 34815795)
58. Overweight and obesity in middle-aged British men. Weatherall R, Shaper AG, Eur J Clin Nutr 1988 42 3 221 231 3383826 (Pubitemid 18092684)
59. Unravelling the extent of inequalities in health across urban and rural areas: evidence from a national sample in England. Riva M, Curtis S, Gauvin L, Fagg J, Soc Sci Med 2009 68 4 654 663 10.1016/j.socscimed.2008.11.024 19108940
60. Socioeconomic status and obesity: a review of the literature. Sobal J, Stunkard AJ, Psychol Bull 1989 105 2 260 275 2648443
61. Social conditions as fundamental causes of disease. Link BG, Phelan J, J Health Soc Behav 1995 80 94
62. Mortality from Coronary Heart Disease Statistics 2010. British Heart Foundation, 2010 Available at: http://www.bhf.org.uk/publications/publications- search-results.aspx?m=simple&q=mortality
63. Statistical numeracy for health; A cross-cultural comparison with probabilistic national samples. Galesic M, Garcia-Retamero R, Arch Intern Med 2010 170 5 462 468 10.1001/archinternmed.2009.481 20212183
64. Nelson M, Erens B, Bates B, Church S, Boshier T, Low income diet and nutrition survey: London: TSO 2007 3
65. Socioeconomic, psychosocial, behavioural, and psychological determinants of BMI among young women: differing patterns for underweight and overweight/obesity. Ali SM, Lindstrom M, Eur J Public Health 2006 16 3 324 330 10.1093/eurpub/cki187 (Pubitemid 43999636)
66. Guide to measuring food insecurity, revised 2000. Bickel G, Nord M, Price C, Hamilton W, Cook J, United States Department of Agriculture Report 2000 http://www.fns.usda.gov/FSEC/FILES/FSGuide.pdf
67. Does hunger cause obesity? Dietz WH, Pediatrics 1995 95 766 767 7724321
68. Food insecurity is associated with increased risk of obesity in California women. Adams EJ, Grummer-Strawn L, Chavez G, J Nutr 2003 133 1070 1704 12672921
69. Neighborhoods and obesity. Black JL, Macingko J, Nutr Rev 2008 66 1 2 20 10.1111/j.1753-4887.2007.00001.x 18254880 (Pubitemid 351666657)
70. Perceptions of the environment, physical activity, and obesity. Poortinga W, Soc Sci Med 2006 63 2835 2846 10.1016/j.socscimed.2006.07.018 16952415 (Pubitemid 44584501)
71. Zweiniger-Bargielowska I, Austerity in Britain: rationing, controls, and consumption New York: Oxford University Press 2002 1939 1955
72. Prenatal programming of childhood overweight and obesity. Huang JS, Lee TA, Lu MC, Matern Child Health J 2007 11 5 461 473 10.1007/s10995-006-0141-8 17006770 (Pubitemid 47097487)
73. Fetal programming of appetite and obesity. Breier BH, Vickers MH, Ikenasio BA, Chan KY, Wong WP, Mol Cell Endocrinol 2001 185 1-2 73 79 10.1016/S0303-7207(01)00634-7 11738796 (Pubitemid 33103955)
74. Obesity at age of 50 y in men and women exposed to famin prenatally. Ravelli AC, van Der Meulen JH, Osmond C, Barker DJ, Bleker OP, Am J Clin Nutr 1999 70 5 811 816 10539740 (Pubitemid 29512905)
75. Education, Occupation and Career Expectations: Determinants of the Gender Pay Gap for UK Graduates*. Chevalier A, Oxford Bull Econ Stat 2007 69 6 819 842 10.1111/j.1468-0084.2007.00483.x
76. The ethnic wage gap and employment differentials in the 1990s: evidence for Britain. Blackaby DH, Leslie DG, Murphy PD, O'Leary NC, Econ Lett 1998 58 1 97 103 10.1016/S0165-1765(97)00274-7 (Pubitemid 128029726)
77. Measuring social class in US public health research: concepts, methodologies, and guidelines. Krieger N, Williams DR, Moss NE, Annu Rev Public Health 1997 18 1 341 378 10.1146/annurev.publhealth.18.1.341 9143723 (Pubitemid 27194075)
78. The vital statistics of wealth and poverty. Stevenson THC, J Royal Stat Soc 1928 91 2 207 230 10.2307/2341530
79. Mortality decline and widening social inequalities. Marmot MG, McDowall ME, Lancet 1986 328 8501 274 276 10.1016/S0140-6736(86)92085-4 (Pubitemid 16098911)
80. Social class differences in anxiety and depression across the life-course: evidence from three cohorts in the west of Scotland. Green MJ, Benzeval M, J Epidemiol Community Health 2009 63 suppl 2 19 10.1136/jech.2009. 096701s
81. Measuring women's mortality differences. Pugh H, Moser K, Women's Health Counts London Routledge, Roberts H, 1990 93 112 22235414
82. Multilevel analysis in public health research. Diez-Roux AV, Annu Rev Public Health 2000 21 171 192 10.1146/annurev.publhealth.21.1.171 10884951 (Pubitemid 30480321)
83. Contextual-effects models: theoretical and methodological issues. Blalock HM, Annu Rev Sociol 1984 10 1 353 372 10.1146/annurev.so.10.080184.002033
84. Multilevel models: methods and substance. DiPrete TA, Forristal JD, Annu Rev Sociol 1994 20 1 331 357 10.1146/annurev.so.20.080194.001555
85. Multilevel analysis methods. Hox JJ, Kreft IGG, Sociol Meth Res 1994 22 3 283 299 10.1177/0049124194022003001
86. Social epidemiology and complex system dynamic modelling as applied to health behaviour and drug use research. Galea S, Hall C, Kaplan GA, Int J Drug Policy 2009 20 3 209 216 10.1016/j.drugpo.2008.08.005 18930649
87. Addressing social determinants of health inequities: learning from doing. Baker EA, Metzler MM, Galea S, Am J Public Health 2005 95 4 553 555 10.2105/AJPH.2005.061812 15798106 (Pubitemid 40411125)
88. National Child Development Study. 2010 Available at: http://www.cls.ioe. ac.uk/studies.asp?section=000100020003 Accessed 10 May, 2010.
89. Social Focus In Brief: Ethnicity, 2002. Office for National Statistics. 2002 Available at: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/ethnicity/social-focus-in-brief - ethnicity/full-report/index.html.Accessed 13 January, 2012.
90. Fitzpatrick J, Jacobson B, Aspinall P, Ethnicity and Health: Executive Summary Association of Public Health Observatories 2007
91. Bhattacharyya G, Ison L, Blair M, Minority ethnic attainment and participation in education and training: the evidence Nottingham: Department for Education and Skills 2003, RTP01-03
92. Department of Health, Healthcare Commission, Report on the self reported experience of patients from black and minority ethnic groups London: Office of National Statistics 2009
93. Comparison of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar: strengths and weaknesses. Falagas ME, Pitsouni EI, Malietzis GA, Pappas G, Faseb J 2008 22 338 342 17884971 (Pubitemid 351225599)
94. Adult socioeconomic, educational, social, and psychological outcomes of childhood obesity: a national birth cohort study. Viner TJ RM, BMJ 2005 330 7504 1354 10.1136/bmj.38453.422049.E0 15901644 (Pubitemid 40839560)
95. Changes in the distributions of body mass index and waist circumference in English adults, 1993/1994 to 2002/2003. Wardle J, Boniface D, Int J Obes 2008 32 527 532 10.1038/sj.ijo.0803740 (Pubitemid 351414810)