Converging prevalences of obesity across educational groups in Switzerland.
OBJECTIVE
To assess whether the rapid increase in obesity prevalence among persons with higher education levels observed in one U.S. study is also observed in a European adult population.


METHODS
This study involved continuous surveillance of the adult population of Geneva, Switzerland (1993 to 2004), with annual random, independent, cross-sectional, representative samples (6635 men and 6558 women, ages 35 to 74 years) and analysis of 12-year trends in obesity prevalence across educational level subgroups.


RESULTS
Obesity prevalence in men had an upward trend in the medium education subgroup (p < 0.02), a borderline upward trend in the high education subgroup (p < 0.08), but no trend in the low education subgroup. There was a borderline trend interaction between the male low and medium education subgroups (p < 0.09). Obesity prevalence in women had a borderline increase in the low education subgroup (p < 0.08), an almost borderline increase in the high education subgroup (p = 0.11), but no significant trend in the medium education subgroup. There was no evidence of trend interaction between the female education groups.


CONCLUSIONS
In Geneva, as in the United States, the inverse association between education level and obesity rates has weakened over time among men, but, inconsistent with the U.S. findings, has persisted for women. Explanations may include more physically demanding occupations for men with low education levels and different attitudes toward body image between the sexes.
Wolff
Hans
H
Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Geneva University Hospitals, 25 rue Micheli-du-Crest, 1211 Geneva 14, Switzerland. hans.wolff@hcuge.ch
Delhumeau
Cecile
C
Beer-Borst
Sigrid
S
Golay
Alain
A
Costanza
Michael C
MC
Morabia
Alfredo
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001828:Body Image; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009765:Obesity / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D009790:Occupations; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology