TY - JOUR
T1 - Socioeconomic inequalities in obesity among Korean women aged 19-79 years
T2 - The 2016 Korean Study of Women's Health-Related Issues
AU - Choi, Eunji
AU - Cho, Ha Na
AU - Seo, Da Hea
AU - Park, Boyoung
AU - Park, Sohee
AU - Cho, Juhee
AU - Kim, Sue
AU - Park, Yeong Ran
AU - Choi, Kui Son
AU - Rhee, Yumie
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Universitat Jaume I. All rights reserved.
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - OBJECTIVES: While the prevalence of obesity in Asian women has remained stagnant, studies of socioeconomic inequalities in obesity among Asian women are scarce. This study aimed to examine the recent prevalence of obesity in Korean women aged between 19 years and 79 years and to analyze socioeconomic inequalities in obesity. METHODS: Data were derived from the 2016 Korean Study of Women's Health-Related Issues. The chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the associations between socioeconomic factors and obesity using Asian standard body mass index (BMI) categories: Low (<18.5 kg/m2), normal (18.5-22.9 kg/m2), overweight (23.0-24.9 kg/m2), and obese (≥25.0 kg/m2). As inequality-specific indicators, the slope index of inequality (SII) and relative index of inequality (RII) were calculated, with adjustment for age and self-reported health status. RESULTS: Korean women were classified into the following BMI categories: Underweight (5.3%), normal weight (59.1%), overweight (21.2%), and obese (14.4%). The SII and RII revealed substantial inequalities in obesity in favor of more urbanized women (SII, 4.5; RII, 1.4) and against of women who were highly educated (SII, -16.7; RII, 0.3). Subgroup analysis revealed inequalities in obesity according to household income among younger women and according to urbanization among women aged 65-79 years. CONCLUSIONS: Clear educational inequalities in obesity existed in Korean women. Reverse inequalities in urbanization were also apparent in older women. Developing strategies to address the multiple observed inequalities in obesity among Korean women may prove essential for effectively reducing the burden of this disease.
AB - OBJECTIVES: While the prevalence of obesity in Asian women has remained stagnant, studies of socioeconomic inequalities in obesity among Asian women are scarce. This study aimed to examine the recent prevalence of obesity in Korean women aged between 19 years and 79 years and to analyze socioeconomic inequalities in obesity. METHODS: Data were derived from the 2016 Korean Study of Women's Health-Related Issues. The chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the associations between socioeconomic factors and obesity using Asian standard body mass index (BMI) categories: Low (<18.5 kg/m2), normal (18.5-22.9 kg/m2), overweight (23.0-24.9 kg/m2), and obese (≥25.0 kg/m2). As inequality-specific indicators, the slope index of inequality (SII) and relative index of inequality (RII) were calculated, with adjustment for age and self-reported health status. RESULTS: Korean women were classified into the following BMI categories: Underweight (5.3%), normal weight (59.1%), overweight (21.2%), and obese (14.4%). The SII and RII revealed substantial inequalities in obesity in favor of more urbanized women (SII, 4.5; RII, 1.4) and against of women who were highly educated (SII, -16.7; RII, 0.3). Subgroup analysis revealed inequalities in obesity according to household income among younger women and according to urbanization among women aged 65-79 years. CONCLUSIONS: Clear educational inequalities in obesity existed in Korean women. Reverse inequalities in urbanization were also apparent in older women. Developing strategies to address the multiple observed inequalities in obesity among Korean women may prove essential for effectively reducing the burden of this disease.
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U2 - 10.4178/EPIH.E2019005
DO - 10.4178/EPIH.E2019005
M3 - Article
C2 - 30917463
AN - SCOPUS:85063946836
SN - 2092-7193
VL - 41
JO - Epidemiology and health
JF - Epidemiology and health
M1 - e2019005
ER -