Commentary: Varying relation of socioeconomic status with obesity between countries at different stages of development

Commentary: Varying relation of socioeconomic status with obesity between countries at different stages of development

Abstract

Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association Ó The Author 2005; all rights reserved. Advance Access publication 8 November 2005 International Journal of Epidemiology 2006;35:112–113 doi:10.1093/ije/dyi227 COMMENTARY Yun Mi Song The stage of social and economic development of a society seems to contribute to the varying relation of socioeconomic status (SES) and obesity between countries. Fezeu et al.1 reported a positive SES/obesity relation, a different finding from that observed in developed countries. In this commentary, I would like to discuss how we might interpret their findings paying attention to the increasing obesity problem. Fezeu et al.1 examined the relation between SES and adiposity in a population-based cross-sectional study conducted in urban Cameroon. In a study of SES and obesity, one important methodological issue is whether adjustment should be made for factors such as related energy intake and expenditure. These factors might be better considered to be mediating factors that should not be adjusted to examine the association between SES and obesity. In the study, Fezeu et al. have considered leisure time physical activity as one of the confounders in the relation between SES and adiposity while having included ownership of motorized transport and