Socioeconomic determinants of underweight and overweight in female Polish students in 2009

摘要

The aim: to determine whether socio-economic status has an effect on the prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity in young women. Methods: The sample included 1129 female students aged 20–24 years from the south of Poland. BMI was calculated from measured weight/height and SES was assessed based on information received from surveyed women. Results: 11.1% of the surveyed students were classified as underweight, 6.5% as overweight and 0.5% were obese. The risk of underweight increased together with the increasing level of parent’s education, it was also higher among women who prior to studying had lived in a town/city rather than in a village. In the case of a self-rated financial situation, a negative relationship was observed. For students who rated their situation as very good or good, the risk of underweight was lower than in students who evaluated their situation as average or below average. No significant relationship between the socioeconomic factors and the risk of overweight was found. Conclusions: The results indicate that the prevalence of thinness was higher than the prevalence of overweight and obesity, especially in students from high status families.