Social class, gender, and time use: implications for the social determinants of body weight?
BACKGROUND
The social gradient in body weight (for example, obesity) departs from the social gradient in other health outcomes. Innovative approaches are needed to understand the observed patterns. This study examines time-use patterns by indicators of socio-economic position, and considers the implications of variations in time use for the social gradient in weight reported in other studies.


METHODS
The data are from respondents aged 25 to 64 to Canada's 1986 and 2005 General Social Surveys, which focused on time use. Participation in various activities was examined by sex, and by personal income and education, stratified by sex, in both years.


RESULTS
Higher-income men and women were more likely than those of lower income to spend time in paid work, commuting and eating out, and less likely to spend time sleeping. Men and women with higher education were more likely than those with lower education to spend time in physical activity (2005 only) and reading. These time-use patterns plausibly contribute to the social gradient in obesity reported in other Canadian studies.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings suggest that there is value in looking beyond a narrow range of health behaviours toward broader measures of daily routines to gain insight into the social determinants of weight and health.
McLaren
Lindsay
L
Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Dr. NW, Calgary AB, T2N 4N1. Imclaren@ucalgary.ca
Godley
Jenny
J
MacNairn
Ian A S
IA
D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors