Socioeconomic inequalities in child obesity and overweight in Portugal

Carlota Quintal and Joana Oliveira

International Journal of Social Economics, 2017, vol. 44, issue 10, 1377-1389

Abstract: Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to assess the association between socioeconomic status and child overweight/obesity in Portugal and to evaluate income-related inequalities in its distribution. Design/methodology/approach - Data come from the last Portuguese National Health Survey (2005/2006) – sample of 6,903 observations. To define child overweight/obesity, the International Obesity Task Force cut-offs for body mass index (BMI) were used; the logistic regression analysis was adopted to explain the risk of overweight/obesity and inequality was measured by means of concentration curve and index. Findings - The evidence obtained points to income-related inequalities in child overweight/obesity favourable to the better-off. The probability of child overweight/obesity was lower for higher income households, but up to a certain point a positive association between income and caloric food intake was found. The concentration index obtained was −0.072 (p-value

Keywords: Risk factors; Concentration index; Socioeconomic status; Portugal; Health inequalities; Child obesity and overweight (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:ijsepp:ijse-11-2015-0291

DOI: 10.1108/IJSE-11-2015-0291

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