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Financial hardship is associated with increased weight gain: what is the role of health behaviors? (811.25)
Author(s) -
Conklin Annalijn,
Forouhi Nita,
Brunner Eric,
Monsivais Pablo
Publication year - 2014
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.28.1_supplement.811.25
Subject(s) - socioeconomic status , weight gain , odds , obesity , marital status , overweight , psychology , stressor , health and retirement study , weight change , mediation , gerontology , demography , logistic regression , medicine , finance , weight loss , environmental health , body weight , economics , endocrinology , political science , clinical psychology , sociology , population , law
Weight status is strongly patterned by socioeconomic status (SES), but financial hardship may also separately influence weight. We aimed to examine the independent associations between financial hardship and 10‐year weight gain, and explore health behaviors as potential mechanisms, in British employees (n=3638). Self‐reported financial hardship (having difficulty paying bills and insufficient money for food/clothing) was assessed four times from 1985 to 1997 and weight measured twice (1985; 1997). During follow‐up, 2520 people gained 蠅5 kg, with a dose‐response to financial hardship in women only. Compared with no history of insufficient money for food/clothing, women reporting cumulative exposure had a 35% greater odds of gaining 蠅5 kg (1.00‐1.82) which increased after SES adjustment (OR 1.40; 1.01‐1.93). Change in smoking or marital status met mediation criteria, but only marital status altered women’s odds of weight gain from cumulative exposure to insufficient money (OR 1.54; 1.11‐2.14) or to difficulty paying bills (OR 1.44; 1.01‐2.06). Financial hardship was significantly independently related to subsequent weight gain in female British employees. One health behavior was a potential mediator but did not attenuate observed associations. Results suggest strategies to tackle obesity must address women’s current economic concerns which may influence weight through more biological pathways. Grant Funding Source : US National Heart Lung and Blood Institute R01HL036310; US National Institute on Aging R01AG01319