Differing trends in the association between obesity and self-reported health in Portugal and Switzerland. Data from national health surveys 1992-2007.

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Ressource 1Download: BIB_CF4064DEEDBF.P001.pdf (198.77 [Ko])
State: Public
Version: Final published version
Serval ID
serval:BIB_CF4064DEEDBF
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Differing trends in the association between obesity and self-reported health in Portugal and Switzerland. Data from national health surveys 1992-2007.
Journal
BMC public health
Author(s)
Marques-Vidal P., Ravasco P., Paccaud F.
ISSN
1471-2458 (Electronic)
ISSN-L
1471-2458
Publication state
Published
Issued date
01/08/2012
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
12
Pages
588
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Journal Article ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Publication Status: epublish
Abstract
The escalating prevalence of obesity might prompt obese subjects to consider themselves as normal, as this condition is gradually becoming as frequent as normal weight. In this study, we aimed to assess the trends in the associations between obesity and self-rated health in two countries.
Data from the Portuguese (years 1995-6, 1998-6 and 2005-6) and Swiss (1992-3, 1997, 2002 and 2007) National Health Surveys were used, corresponding to more than 130,000 adults (64,793 for Portugal and 65,829 for Switzerland). Body mass index and self-rated health were derived from self-reported data.
Obesity levels were higher in Portugal (17.5% in 2005-6 vs. 8.9% in 2007 in Switzerland, p < 0.001) and increased in both countries. The prevalence of participants rating their health as "bad" or "very bad" was higher in Portugal than in Switzerland (21.8% in 2005-6 vs 3.9% in 2007, p < 0.001). In both countries, obese participants rated more frequently their health as "bad" or "very bad" than participants with regular weight. In Switzerland, the prevalence of "bad" or "very bad" rates among obese participants, increased from 6.5% in 1992-3 to 9.8% in 2007, while in Portugal it decreased from 41.3% to 32.3%. After multivariate adjustment, the odds ratio (OR) of stating one self's health as "bad" or "very bad" among obese relative to normal weight participants, almost doubled in Switzerland: from 1.38 (95% confidence interval, CI: 1.01-1.87) in 1992-3 to 2.64 (95% CI: 2.14-3.26) in 2007, and similar findings were obtained after sample weighting. Conversely, no such trend was found in Portugal: 1.35 (95% CI: 1.23-1.48) in 1995-6 and 1.52 (95% CI: 1.37-1.70) in 2005-6.
Obesity is increasing in Switzerland and Portugal. Obesity is increasingly associated with poorer self-health ratings in Switzerland but not in Portugal.

Keywords
Adolescent, Adult, Body Mass Index, Diagnostic Self Evaluation, Female, Health Surveys, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Obesity/epidemiology, Portugal/epidemiology, Self Report, Switzerland/epidemiology, Young Adult
Pubmed
Web of science
Open Access
Yes
Create date
04/01/2013 13:15
Last modification date
20/08/2019 16:49
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