title: [The surplus weight among the Francophones and Anglophones].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent studies show a higher prevalence of being obese or overweight in Francophones living in minority settings compared to Canada's Anglophone majority. The objective of our study was to determine whether belonging to the linguistic minority constituted a social determinant of having a weight problem.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive variables (n=128,986) from five cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey were stratified by respondents' language and sex. Two logistic regression models tested the association between being overweight/obese (as defined by the measure of body mass index) and language, for men and women, while adjusting for social and behavioural determinants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence of excess weight was higher among Francophones compared to Anglophones of Ontario, although the difference was not significant after adjustment for socio-economic and behavioural determinants. However, Francophones were older, less educated and more likely to live in rural areas than their Anglophone counterparts, a situation which makes them more vulnerable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study confirms the role of social and behavioural determinants of being obese/overweight. Although language does not have a direct influence on having a weight problem, the socio-economic reality of the Francophone minority makes them more likely than the Anglophone majority to fall in vulnerable strata of the population with regards to being overweight/obese. This situation should be considered when planning health services.
authors.affiliation: University of Ottawa. g.a.isabelle@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gagnon-Arpin
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Makvandi
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Imbeault
authors.forename: Malek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Batal
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bouchard
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D064890:Social Determinants of Health; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Minority health; body mass index; language; obesity; overweight; socioeconomic factors