Body Mass Index and Poor Self-Rated Health in 49 Low-Income and Middle-Income Countries, By Sex, 2002-2004.
This study investigated whether the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and poor self-rated health differed by sex in low-income countries and middle-income countries. We analyzed data from the World Health Survey (2002-2004) on 160,099 participants from 49 low-income and middle-income countries by using random-intercept multilevel logistic regressions. We found a U-shaped relationship between BMI and poor self-rated health among both sexes in both low-income and middle-income countries, but the relationship differed by sex in strength and direction between low-income countries and middle-income countries. Differential perception of body weight and general health might explain some of the observed sex differences.
Department of Epidemiology, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, 650 Charles E. Young Dr South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772. Email: aolinw@ucla.edu.
Aolin
A
Wang
Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health and Center for Health Policy Research, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; California Center for Population Research, Los Angeles, California.
Onyebuchi A
OA
Arah
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology; D057566:Self Report; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014944:World Health Organization