Dataset Information

Minimum Wage and Overweight and Obesity in Adult Women: A Multilevel Analysis of Low and Middle Income Countries.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To describe the relationship between minimum wage and overweight and obesity across countries at different levels of development.

Methods

A cross-sectional analysis of 27 countries with data on the legislated minimum wage level linked to socio-demographic and anthropometry data of non-pregnant 190,892 adult women (24-49 y) from the Demographic and Health Survey. We used multilevel logistic regression models to condition on country- and individual-level potential confounders, and post-estimation of average marginal effects to calculate the adjusted prevalence difference.

Results

We found the association between minimum wage and overweight/obesity was independent of individual-level SES and confounders, and showed a reversed pattern by country development stage. The adjusted overweight/obesity prevalence difference in low-income countries was an average increase of about 0.1 percentage points (PD 0.075 [0.065, 0.084]), and an average decrease of 0.01 percentage points in middle-income countries (PD -0.014 [-0.019, -0.009]). The adjusted obesity prevalence difference in low-income countries was an average increase of 0.03 percentage points (PD 0.032 [0.021, 0.042]) and an average decrease of 0.03 percentage points in middle-income countries (PD -0.032 [-0.036, -0.027]).

Conclusion

This is among the first studies to examine the potential impact of improved wages on an important precursor of non-communicable diseases globally. Among countries with a modest level of economic development, higher minimum wage was associated with lower levels of obesity.

SUBMITTER: Conklin AI

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4786275 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Minimum Wage and Overweight and Obesity in Adult Women: A Multilevel Analysis of Low and Middle Income Countries.

Conklin Annalijn I AI Ponce Ninez A NA Frank John J Nandi Arijit A Heymann Jody J

PloS one 20160310 3

<h4>Objectives</h4>To describe the relationship between minimum wage and overweight and obesity across countries at different levels of development.<h4>Methods</h4>A cross-sectional analysis of 27 countries with data on the legislated minimum wage level linked to socio-demographic and anthropometry data of non-pregnant 190,892 adult women (24-49 y) from the Demographic and Health Survey. We used multilevel logistic regression models to condition on country- and individual-level potential confoun ...[more]

PMID: 26963247

Similar Datasets

Project description:ObjectiveTo analyze socioeconomic inequalities in the prevalence of underweight and overweight or obesity in women from low and middle-income countries (LMICs).MethodsUsing the last available Demographic Health Survey between 2010 and 2016 from 49 LMICs, we estimated the prevalence of underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2) and overweight or obesity combined (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) for women aged 20-49 years. We used linear regression to explore the associations between the two outcomes and gross national income (GNI). We assess within-country socioeconomic inequalities using wealth deciles. The slope index of inequality (SII) and the inequality pattern index (IPI) were calculated for each outcome. Negative values of the latter express bottom inequality (when inequality is driven by the poorest deciles) while positive values express top inequality (driven by the richest deciles).ResultsIn total, 931,145 women were studied. The median prevalence of underweight, overweight or obesity combined, and obesity were 7.3% (range 0.2-20.5%), 31.5% (8.8-85.3%), and 10.2% (1.9-48.8%), respectively. Pearson correlation coefficients with log GNI were -0.33 (p = 0.006) for underweight, 0.72 (p < 0.001) for overweight or obesity, and 0.66 (p < 0.001) for obesity. For underweight, the SII was significantly negative in 38 of the 49 countries indicating a higher burden among poor women. There was no evidence of top or bottom inequality. Overweight or obesity increased significantly with wealth in 44 of the 49 countries. Top inequality was observed in low-prevalence countries, and bottom inequality in high-prevalence countries.ConclusionUnderweight remains a problem among the poorest women in poor countries, but overweight and obesity are the prevailing problem as national income increases. In low-prevalence countries, overweight or obesity levels are driven by the higher prevalence among the richest women; as national prevalence increases, only the poorest women are relatively preserved from the epidemic.

Project description:BackgroundChanges in overweight/obesity and anemia among women have been investigated in multiple studies, but the rate at which their coexistence at the individual level has evolved remains unknown.ObjectivesWe aimed to 1) document trends in the magnitude and inequalities of the co-occurrence of overweight/obesity and anemia; and 2) compare these with overall trends in overweight/obesity, anemia, and the co-occurrence of anemia with normal weight or underweight.MethodsFor this cross-sectional series study, we used 96 Demographic and Health Surveys from 33 countries with available anthropometric and anemia data among nonpregnant adult women (20-49 y old; n = 1,648,308). The primary outcome was defined as the coexistence of overweight or obesity (BMI ≥25kg/m2) and anemia (hemoglobin concentrations <12.0 g/dL) within the same individual. We computed overall and regional trends through multilevel linear regression models and by sociodemographic characteristics (i.e., wealth, education, and residence). Estimates at the country level were calculated through ordinary least square regression models.ResultsFrom 2000 to 2019, the co-occurrence of overweight/obesity and anemia increased modestly at an annual rate of 0.18 percentage points (95% CI: 0.08, 0.28 percentage points; P < 0.001), ranging from 0.73 percentage points in Jordan to -0.56 percentage points in Peru. This trend occurred in parallel with overall increases in overweight/obesity and reductions in anemia. The co-occurrence of anemia with normal weight or underweight was reducing in all countries, except Burundi, Sierra Leone, Jordan, Bolivia, and Timor-Leste. Stratified analyses yielded an upward trend in the co-occurrence of overweight/obesity and anemia across all subgroups but particularly in women from the 3 middle wealth groups, no education, and capital city or rural residents.ConclusionsThe rising trend in the intraindividual double burden suggests that efforts to reduce anemia among women living with overweight/obesity may need to be revisited to accelerate progress toward the 2025 global nutrition target of halving anemia.

Project description:BACKGROUND:In high-income countries, obesity prevalence (body mass index greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2) is highest among the poor, while overweight (body mass index greater than or equal to 25 kg/m2) is prevalent across all wealth groups. In contrast, in low-income countries, the prevalence of overweight and obesity is higher among wealthier individuals than among poorer individuals. We characterize the transition of overweight and obesity from wealthier to poorer populations as countries develop, and project the burden of overweight and obesity among the poor for 103 countries. METHODS AND FINDINGS:Our sample used 182 Demographic and Health Surveys and World Health Surveys (n = 2.24 million respondents) from 1995 to 2016. We created a standard wealth index using household assets common among all surveys and linked national wealth by country and year identifiers. We then estimated the changing probability of overweight and obesity across every wealth decile as countries' per capita gross domestic product (GDP) rises using logistic and linear fixed-effect regression models. We found that obesity rates among the wealthiest decile were relatively stable with increasing national wealth, and the changing gradient was largely due to increasing obesity prevalence among poorer populations (3.5% [95% uncertainty interval: 0.0%-8.3%] to 14.3% [9.7%-19.0%]). Overweight prevalence among the richest (45.0% [35.6%-54.4%]) and the poorest (45.5% [35.9%-55.0%]) were roughly equal in high-income settings. At $8,000 GDP per capita, the adjusted probability of being obese was no longer highest in the richest decile, and the same was true of overweight at $10,000. Above $25,000, individuals in the richest decile were less likely than those in the poorest decile to be obese, and the same was true of overweight at $50,000. We then projected overweight and obesity rates by wealth decile to 2040 for all countries to quantify the expected rise in prevalence in the relatively poor. Our projections indicated that, if past trends continued, the number of people who are poor and overweight will increase in our study countries by a median 84.4% (range 3.54%-383.4%), most prominently in low-income countries. The main limitations of this study included the inclusion of cross-sectional, self-reported data, possible reverse causality of overweight and obesity on wealth, and the lack of physical activity and food price data. CONCLUSIONS:Our findings indicate that as countries develop economically, overweight prevalence increased substantially among the poorest and stayed mostly unchanged among the wealthiest. The relative poor in upper- and lower-middle income countries may have the greatest burden, indicating important planning and targeting needs for national health programs.

Dataset Information

Minimum Wage and Overweight and Obesity in Adult Women: A Multilevel Analysis of Low and Middle Income Countries.

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Minimum Wage and Overweight and Obesity in Adult Women: A Multilevel Analysis of Low and Middle Income Countries.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets