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Behavior and Psychology

How obesity relates to socio-economic status: identification of eating behavior mediators

International Journal of Obesity volume 40, pages 1794–1801 (2016)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background:

Socio-economic status (SES) is a strong determinant of eating behavior and the obesity risk.

Objective:

To determine which eating and lifestyle behaviors mediate the association between SES and obesity.

Methods:

We performed a case–control study of 318 obese people and 371 non-obese people in northern France. Ten eating behavior traits were assessed using the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire Revised 21-Item and an eating attitude questionnaire (on plate size, the number of servings, reasons for stopping eating and the frequency of eating standing up, eating in front of the television set (TV) and eating at night). The SES score (in three categories) was based on occupation, education and income categories. Mediation analysis was performed using the test of joint significance and the difference of coefficients test.

Results:

The age- and gender-adjusted obesity risk was higher for individuals in the low-SES groups (odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval (CI)=1.82 (1.48–2.24), P<0.0001). Additional servings were associated with a higher obesity risk (OR=3.43, P<0.0001). Cognitive restraint (P<0.0001) and emotional eating (P<0.0001) scores were higher in obese participants than in non-obese participants but did not depend on SES. Of the 10 potential factors tested, eating off a large plate (P=0.01), eating at night (P=0.04) and uncontrolled eating (P=0.03) significantly mediated the relationship between SES and obesity.

Conclusion:

Our results highlighted a number of obesogenic behaviors among socially disadvantaged participants: large plate size, uncontrolled eating and eating at night were significant mediators of the relationship between SES and the obesity risk.

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Acknowledgements

The staff of the Centre de Prévention et d'Education pour la Santé is acknowledged for its help in the recruitment of non-obese individuals. This research was funded by the Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale (grant to AM), Institut Pasteur de Lille, INSERM, Lille University, Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire de Lille, Nord-Pas de Calais Regional Council and FEDER.

Author contributions

MP conducted the research, analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript; JR conducted the research; PT analyzed the data; M-PD helped to recruit participants; AC helped to recruit participants and conducted the research; MR designed and conducted the research, analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript; JDa conducted the research and analyzed the data; AD analyzed the data; LG analyzed the data; PA conducted the research; JDu analyzed the data; AM designed and conducted the research, analyzed the data, wrote the manuscript and had primary responsibility for final content.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition, CHRU Lille, Univ. Lille, Lille, France

    M Pigeyre

  2. Unité de Nutrition, EA2694, Univ. Lille, CHRU, Lille, France

    J Rousseaux, A Chmielewski & M Romon

  3. University Medical Center, Univ. Lille, Lille, France

    P Trouiller

  4. Inserm, U1167, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Univ. Lille, Lille, France

    J Dumont, L Goumidi, M-P Dumont, P Amouyel, J Dallongeville & A Meirhaeghe

  5. Centre de Prévention et d'Education pour la Santé, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Lille, France

    D Bonte

  6. Department of Biostatistics, CERIM, EA2694, Univ. Lille, University Medical Center, Lille, France

    A Duhamel

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  1. M Pigeyre
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Correspondence to A Meirhaeghe.

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Supplementary Information accompanies this paper on International Journal of Obesity website

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Pigeyre, M., Rousseaux, J., Trouiller, P. et al. How obesity relates to socio-economic status: identification of eating behavior mediators. Int J Obes 40, 1794–1801 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2016.109

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2016.109

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