Search

BACKGROUND: Excess risk of childhood overweight and obesity occurring in socioeconomically disadvantaged families has been demonstrated in numerous studies from high-income regions, including Europe. It is well known that socioeconomic characteristics such as parental education, income and occupation are etiologically relevant to childhood obesity. However, in the pan-European setting, there is reason to believe that inequalities in childhood weight status may vary among countries as a function of differing degrees of socioeconomic development and equity. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we have examined socioeconomic differences in childhood obesity in different parts of the European region using nationally representative data from Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Portugal and Sweden that were collected in 2008 during the first round of the World Health Organization ( WHO) European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative. RESULTS: Heterogeneity in the association between parental socioeconomic indicators and childhood overweight or obesity was clearly observed across the five countries studied. Positive as well as negative associations were observed between parental socioeconomic indicators and childhood overweight, with statistically significant interactions between country and parental indicators. CONCLUSIONS: These findings have public health implications for the WHO European Region and underscore the necessity to continue documenting socioeconomic inequalities in obesity in all countries through international surveillance efforts in countries with diverse geographic, social and economic environments. This is a prerequisite for universal as well as targeted preventive actions., Funding Agencies:Ministry of HealthNational Center of Public Health and AnalysesRegional Health InspectoratesInternal Grant Agency of the Ministry of Health IGA NS/9832-4Lithuanian State Science and Studies FoundationLithuanian University of Health SciencesResearch Council of Lithuania SIN-17/2012Ministry of Health and Regional Health DirectoratesSwedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (FORTE)Directorate-General for Health of PortugalNational Health Institute Doutor Ricardo Jorge in Lisbon, PortugalNational Institute of Health in Rome, ItalyNorwegian Institute of Public Health in Oslo, NorwayHellenic Medical Association for Obesity in Athens, GreeceDirectorate-General for Health of FranceKarolinska Institute in Huddinge, Sweden

BACKGROUND: Excess risk of childhood overweight and obesity occurring in socioeconomically disadvantaged families has been demonstrated in numerous studies from high-income regions, including Europe. It is well known that socioeconomic characteristics such as parental education, income and occupation are etiologically relevant to childhood obesity. However, in the pan-European setting, there is reason to believe that inequalities in childhood weight status may vary among countries as a function of differing degrees of socioeconomic development and equity. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we have examined socioeconomic differences in childhood obesity in different parts of the European region using nationally representative data from Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Portugal and Sweden that were collected in 2008 during the first round of the World Health Organization ( WHO) European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative. RESULTS: Heterogeneity in the association between parental socioeconomic indicators and childhood overweight or obesity was clearly observed across the five countries studied. Positive as well as negative associations were observed between parental socioeconomic indicators and childhood overweight, with statistically significant interactions between country and parental indicators. CONCLUSIONS: These findings have public health implications for the WHO European Region and underscore the necessity to continue documenting socioeconomic inequalities in obesity in all countries through international surveillance efforts in countries with diverse geographic, social and economic environments. This is a prerequisite for universal as well as targeted preventive actions., Funding Agencies:Ministry of HealthNational Center of Public Health and AnalysesRegional Health InspectoratesInternal Grant Agency of the Ministry of Health IGA NS/9832-4Lithuanian State Science and Studies FoundationLithuanian University of Health SciencesResearch Council of Lithuania SIN-17/2012Ministry of Health and Regional Health DirectoratesSwedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (FORTE)Directorate-General for Health of PortugalNational Health Institute Doutor Ricardo Jorge in Lisbon, PortugalNational Institute of Health in Rome, ItalyNorwegian Institute of Public Health in Oslo, NorwayHellenic Medical Association for Obesity in Athens, GreeceDirectorate-General for Health of FranceKarolinska Institute in Huddinge, Sweden