School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Qixia District, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China.
Int J Equity Health. 2017 Aug 16;16(1):146. doi: 10.1186/s12939-017-0636-5.
Obesity is a serious public health problem in China. The relationship between obesity and socio-economic status (SES) is changing and affected by uncertainty, particularly, in developing countries. The sex-related differences in body mass index (BMI) trajectories are controversial and require substantial empirical data for updating and enriching.
This study examined the relationship between SES and BMI in Chinese adults from a dynamic perspective using longitudinal data (1991-2011) from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS). Then, sex-related differences were determined. A hierarchical linear model was used.
SES positively affected the male BMI changes, with faster BMI growth rates in the high-SES males over the past 20 years. By contrast, female BMI was only affected by BMI baseline and residential area. Specifically, greater BMI baseline led to greater BMI growth rate and earlier BMI decline. In the past 20 years, the BMI growth rate has been greater in the urban females than in the rural females.
The relationship between SES and obesity is complex in China, and a substantial sex-related difference exists. We argue that this large sex-related difference is due to the rapid economic and social changes that have affected national health and increased the gender inequality and social role restrictions in females. We provide insights for further research and policy recommendations.
肥胖是中国严重的公共卫生问题。肥胖与社会经济地位（SES）之间的关系正在发生变化，并受到不确定性的影响，尤其是在发展中国家。身体质量指数（BMI）轨迹的性别差异存在争议，需要大量的经验数据来更新和丰富。
本研究使用中国健康与营养调查（CHNS）的纵向数据（1991-2011 年），从动态角度研究 SES 与中国成年人 BMI 之间的关系。然后确定了性别差异。使用分层线性模型。
SES 对男性 BMI 变化有积极影响，在过去 20 年中，高 SES 男性的 BMI 增长率较快。相比之下，女性 BMI 仅受 BMI 基线和居住地区的影响。具体而言，更大的 BMI 基线导致更大的 BMI 增长率和更早的 BMI 下降。在过去 20 年中，城市女性的 BMI 增长率高于农村女性。
中国 SES 与肥胖之间的关系很复杂，存在显著的性别差异。我们认为，这种巨大的性别差异是由于经济和社会的快速变化影响了国民健康，增加了女性中的性别不平等和社会角色限制。我们为进一步的研究和政策建议提供了见解。
