Aims: The aim of this study was to project educational inequalities in obesity and smoking prevalence to 2050 based on past obesity and smoking trends by education level.
Methods: Data on obesity (body mass index ≥ 30) and smoking prevalence (current smokers) by education level (tertiary education and less than tertiary) from nationally representative cross-sectional surveys were collected for the following six countries participating in the Economics of Chronic Diseases project (EConDA): England, Finland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland (obesity only) and Portugal (obesity only). A nonlinear multivariate regression model was fitted to the data to create longitudinal projections to 2050. Inequalities were measured with a prevalence ratio and a prevalence difference using projected obesity/smoking prevalence.
Results: Educational inequalities in obesity prevalence are projected to increase in Finland, Lithuania and England for men, and in Lithuania and Poland for women, by 2050. Obesity prevalence is projected to increase faster among the more advantaged groups in England, Portugal, Finland and the Netherlands among women, and Portugal and the Netherlands among men, narrowing inequalities. In contrast to obesity, smoking prevalence is projected to continue declining in most of the countries studied. The decline is projected to be faster in relative terms among more advantaged groups; therefore, relative educational inequalities in smoking prevalence are projected to increase in all countries.
Conclusions: Widening educational inequalities in obesity and smoking prevalence are expected in several European countries if current trends in obesity and smoking prevalence are unaltered. This will impact on inequalities in morbidity and mortality of associated diseases such as diabetes, coronary heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1403494818761416 | DOI Listing |
J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle
February 2025
Center for Genomic Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
Background: Diaphragm thickness is a potential marker of sarcopenia in addition to muscle mass and strength at extremities. We aimed to clarify the descriptive epidemiology and prognostic significance of diaphragm thickness in the general population.
Methods: The study participants were 3324 community residents (mean age: 61.
Arch Public Health
January 2025
Department of Biostatistics & Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Infectious Ophthalmologic Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
Background: Cigarette smoking remains a significant public health concern, with detrimental effects on both smokers and those exposed to secondhand smoke. This study investigates the factors influencing smoking behaviors in Iranian households, focusing on households with children under five years old.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 8751 Iranian households using data from the Iranian Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) collected by the Statistical Center of Iran (SCI) in 2021.
BMC Med
January 2025
Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Box 593, Husargatan 3, Uppsala, 751 24, Sweden.
Background: Lifestyle choices, such as dietary patterns and sleep duration, significantly impact the health of the digestive system and may influence the risk of mortality from digestive system cancer.
Methods: This study aimed to examine the associations between sleep duration, dietary habits, and mortality from digestive system cancers. The analysis included 406,584 participants from the UK Biobank cohort (54.
J Alzheimers Dis
January 2025
Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA.
Background: The prevalence of Alzheimer's disease or dementia in the elderly population has been increasing both nationally and globally. Males and females are impacted differently when it comes to cognitive health, and this can be influenced by various risk factors.
Objective: This study highlights the sociodemographic, chronic disease, and genetic biomarker risk factors associated with gender differences and cognitive impairments in the elderly population living in Cochran, Parmer, and Bailey counties of rural West Texas.
Environ Health Prev Med
January 2025
Nara Prefectural Health Research Center, Nara Medical University.
Background: Japanese people sleep less compared to other countries around the world. Using a large nationally representative survey in 2019 and 2022, we investigated whether sleep duration and nonrestorative sleep (NRS) among Japanese people have improved or worsened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: Data were drawn from the Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions, a nationwide cross-sectional sample based on self-administered questionnaires.
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