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Socioeconomic factors associated with obesity in adolescents in Guadalajara, Mexico
Author(s) -
RomeroVelarde Enrique,
MartínezGloria Esther Alicia,
VásquezGaribay Edgar Manuel,
TroyoSanromán Rogelio
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.23.1_supplement.551.16
Subject(s) - socioeconomic status , obesity , social class , body mass index , percentile , demography , odds ratio , middle class , medicine , cross sectional study , odds , gerontology , environmental health , logistic regression , population , sociology , political science , mathematics , statistics , pathology , law
Objective To identify differences in socioeconomic factors associated with obesity in adolescents from different social classes. Methods and materials In a cross sectional study 328 adolescents from three junior high schools were included; 131 from low, 106 from middle and 91 from high social class. Socioeconomic information was obtained; the body mass index (kg /m 2 ) was used to evaluate the presence of obesity (BMI >95 percentile) or healthy weight (BMI percentile 5‐85). The association between the presence of obesity and socioeconomic characteristics was measured with the odds ratio (OR) and x 2 test. Results The prevalence of obesity was higher in middle (24.5%) than low (18.3%) or high class schools (19.8%). There was an association between the presence of obesity in adolescents and mother's obesity in schools of low (OR = 2.77) and middle (OR = 3.0) social classes and with father's obesity in schools of middle (OR = 2.81) and high (OR = 3.62) social classes. The practice of physical activities was a protection factor for obesity in adolescents from low social class (OR = 0.28 [0.10‐0.76]). Conclusions The prevalence of obesity was higher in adolescents of middle social class; probably, the highest prevalence is moving from higher to lower social classes in Mexico. Adolescents from low social class might have less oportunities to practice physical activities and look for health attention.