Journal of Obesity

Research Article

Socioeconomic and Demographic Factors for Spousal Resemblance in Obesity Status and Habitual Physical Activity in the United States

Table 3

Association between obesity and one’s own/the spouse’s characteristics in the US (MEPS 2006–2008).


Explanatory variables	Husbands’ obesity		Wives’ obesity
Explanatory variables	OR	95% CI	OR	95% CI

Spouse’s obesity status versus nonobesity	2.52	(2.19, 2.89)	2.50	(2.18, 2.86)
One’s own age (per 5 years)	0.92	(0.86, 0.98)	1.06	(0.99, 1.13)
Spouse’s age (per 5 years)	1.04	(0.97, 1.11)	0.97	(0.91, 1.04)
One’s own HPA ≥3 times a week versus <3	0.61	(0.53, 0.69)	0.56	(0.49, 0.63)
Spouse’s HPA ≥3 times a week versus <3	1.01	(0.90, 1.14)	1.13	(0.98, 1.30)
One’s own current smoking versus nonsmoking status	0.67	(0.57, 0.80)	0.89	(0.72, 1.10)
Spouse’s current smoking versus nonsmoking status	1.30	(1.08, 1.56)	1.19	(0.98, 1.45)
One’s own race/ethnicity (versus NH white)
NH black	1.68	(1.09, 2.58)	0.97	(0.59, 1.59)
Hispanic	0.97	(0.70, 1.34)	1.20	(0.90, 1.59)
Other	0.51	(0.31, 0.85)	0.40	(0.23, 0.70)
Spouse’s race/ethnicity (versus NH white)
NH black	0.75	(0.49, 1.16)	2.09	(1.30, 3.36)
Hispanic	0.83	(0.59, 1.15)	0.85	(0.63, 1.15)
Other	0.76	(0.49, 1.16)	0.88	(0.49, 1.58)
One’s own education (per 5 year)	0.86	(0.74, 0.99)	0.92	(0.79, 1.07)
Spouse’s education (per 5 year)	0.90	(0.79, 1.04)	0.71	(0.61, 0.84)
One’s own individual income (versus ≥US$48,000)
<US$10,000	0.94	(0.75, 1.18)	1.20	(0.96, 1.50)
US$10,000–24,999	1.02	(0.86, 1.21)	1.15	(0.95, 1.40)
US$25,000–47,999	1.01	(0.88, 1.17)	1.01	(0.83, 1.22)
Spouse’s individual income (versus ≥US$48,000)
<US$10,000	1.09	(0.90, 1.34)	1.17	(0.91, 1.49)
US$10,000–24,999	0.99	(0.83, 1.19)	1.40	(1.18, 1.66)
US$25,000–47,999	1.15	(0.97, 1.36)	1.37	(1.17, 1.60)
One’s own employment status (versus employed)
Never worked	0.68	(0.35, 1.34)	0.89	(0.68, 1.17)
Retired	0.95	(0.69, 1.32)	0.93	(0.61, 1.41)
Unemployed	1.10	(0.84, 1.44)	0.92	(0.75, 1.13)
Spouse’s employment status (versus employed)
Never worked	0.69	(0.53, 0.89)	1.06	(0.56, 2.00)
Retired	0.83	(0.56, 1.25)	0.73	(0.52, 1.04)
Unemployed	0.86	(0.72, 1.03)	1.31	(1.01, 1.71)

Individual-level analysis: obesity: BMI ≥ 30.
Each column shows the results of a logistic regression model; in addition to the variables presented on the table, survey year, indicator of respondent, and missingness indicators were adjusted.