Socioeconomic, temporal and regional variation in body mass index among 188,537 Swiss male conscripts born between 1986 and 1992.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Rising levels of overweight and obesity are important public-health concerns worldwide. The purpose of this study is to elucidate their prevalence and trends in Switzerland by analyzing variations in Body Mass Index (BMI) of Swiss conscripts.

Methods

The conscription records were provided by the Swiss Army. This study focussed on conscripts 18.5-20.5 years of age from the seven one-year birth cohorts spanning the period 1986-1992. BMI across professional status, area-based socioeconomic position (abSEP), urbanicity and regions was analyzed. Two piecewise quantile regression models with linear splines for three birth-cohort groups were used to examine the association of median BMI with explanatory variables and to determine the extent to which BMI has varied over t

SUBMITTER: Panczak R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4018351 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature