The influence of bereavement on body mass index: results from a national Swedish survey.
BACKGROUND
Previous findings suggest that the loss of a family member is associated with health and mortality. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between bereavement experiences and BMI, and whether there are socio-demographic differences in this association.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association between bereavement experiences and BMI, and whether there are socio-demographic differences in this association.


METHODS
We used cross-sectional data with retrospective questions from the Swedish Level of Living Survey (LNU) of 2000, including 5,142 individuals. The bereavement experiences examined in the study include the loss of a sibling, a parent or a spouse, and time since the death of a parent. BMI (kg/m2) was calculated using self-reported measurements of weight and height. The association between bereavement and BMI was evaluated through linear regressions.


RESULTS
After controlling for possible confounders, most of the models detected an association between bereavement and BMI. The fully-adjusted model showed that loss of parents was associated with a 0.45 increase in BMI (SE = 0.20). The effect also seemed to be dependent on time since the loss and social class position.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study is the first to examine associations between different types of familial losses and BMI. We find an association between the death of a family member and BMI, but it appears to be related to time since the death, type of bereavement experience and social class.
Laboratory of Social Dimensions Applied to Physical Activity and Sport (LABSAFE), Department of Physical Education and Sports, Rural Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, Brazil.
Aldair J
AJ
Oliveira
Centre for Health Equity Studies (CHESS), Stockholm University/Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Mikael
M
Rostila
University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland and Åbo Akademi University, Vasa, Finland.
Jan
J
Saarela
Department of Epidemiology, Institute of Social Medicine, Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Claudia S
CS
Lopes
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001601:Bereavement; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013548:Sweden; D055815:Young Adult