Role of Socioeconomic Indicators on Development of Obesity from a Life Course Perspective

Table 2

Mean body mass index (BMI) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) according to socioeconomic status in childhood and adulthood among men and women aged 61.5 (SD ± 2.9) years. 𝑃-value for linear trend (adjusted for age).

	Men			Women
	𝑛=920			𝑛=1067
Social class in childhood	BMI	95% CI	𝑛	BMI	95% CI	𝑛
Lower	28.0	(27.6–28.3)	525	27.9	(27.5–28.3)	667
Middle	27.3	(26.8–27.8)	254	27.7	(27.1–28.3)	276
Higher	26.5	(25.9–27.1)	141	26.9	(26.2–27.7)	124
𝑃 for trend	<.001			.10
Education
Basic	28.1	(27.6–28.6)	256	28.3	(27.7–28.8)	299
Secondary	27.3	(26.8–27.8)	262	28.1	(27.6–28.6)	347
Higher	27.3	(26.9–27.8)	388	26.9	(26.4–27.4)	402
𝑃 for trend	.03			<.001
Social class in adulthood
Lower	28.4	(27.6–29.1)	191	28.9	(27.9–29.9)	108
Middle	27.5	(27.1–27.9)	333	27.8	(27.4–28.2)	643
Higher	27.0	(26.6–27.4)	350	26.8	(26.2–27.4)	257
𝑃 for trend	<.01			.01
Household income
Lowest quartile	27.7	(27.0–28.3)	166	28.1	(27.5–28.7)	332
2nd quartile	27.7	(27.2–28.3)	229	28.4	(27.8–29.0)	262
3rd quartile	27.4	(27.0–27.8)	272	27.5	(26.8–28.2)	233
Highest quartile	27.4	(26.9–28.0)	255	26.7	(26.1–27.2)	243
𝑃 for trend	.38			<.001
Marital status
Married or cohabiting	27.5	(27.2–27.8)	789	27.8	(27.4–28.1)	722
Single	27.6	(26.8–28.3)	138	27.6	(27.1–28.2)	352
𝑃 for trend	1.00			.70