Gender obesity inequities are huge but differ greatly according to environment and socio-economics in a North African setting: a national cross-sectional study in Tunisia

Southern Mediterranean countries have experienced a marked increase in the prevalence of obesity whose consequences for gender related health inequities have been little studied. We assessed gender obesity inequalities and their environmental and socio-economic modifiers among Tunisian adults. Cross...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2012-10, Vol.7 (10), p.e48153
Main Authors: El Ati, Jalila, Traissac, Pierre, Delpeuch, Francis, Aounallah-Skhiri, Hajer, Béji, Chiraz, Eymard-Duvernay, Sabrina, Bougatef, Souha, Kolsteren, Patrick, Maire, Bernard, Ben Romdhane, Habiba
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adipose tissue
Adiposity
Adult
Adults
Aged
Analysis
Body mass
Body Mass Index
Body measurements
Cross-Sectional Studies
Economic aspects
Economics
Education
Female
Gender equality
Households
Humans
Inequalities
Male
Medicine
Men
Middle Aged
Nutrition
Obesity
Obesity, Abdominal - epidemiology
Occupational health
Prevalence
Profession
Rural areas
Rural Population
Sex Factors
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Socioeconomic Factors
Socioeconomics
Surveys
Tunisia - epidemiology
Urban environments
Urban Population
Womens health
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Summary:Southern Mediterranean countries have experienced a marked increase in the prevalence of obesity whose consequences for gender related health inequities have been little studied. We assessed gender obesity inequalities and their environmental and socio-economic modifiers among Tunisian adults. Cross-sectional survey in 2005; national, 3 level random cluster sample of 35-70 years Tunisians (women: n = 2964, men: n = 2379). Overall adiposity was assessed by BMI = weight(kg)/height(m)(2) and obesity was BMI≥30, WHtR = waist circumference to height ratio defined abdominal obesity as WHtR≥0.6. Gender obesity inequality measure was women versus men Prevalence Proportion Odds-Ratio (OR); models featuring gender x covariate interaction assessed variation of gender obesity inequalities with area (urban versus rural), age, marital status or socio-economic position (profession, education, household income proxy). BMI was much higher among women (28.4(0.2)) versus men (25.3(0.1)), P
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0048153