Objectives. This study aimed to different socioeconomic indicators as parental education, and occupation, and Family Affluence Scale (FAS), related to abdominal obesity in adolescents from two observational studies, HELENA and BRACAH.
Methods. Brazilian (n = 991, 54.5% girls aged 14-18y, BRACAH study) and European (n = 3528, 52.3% girls aged 12.5-17.5y, HELENA study) participant adolescents were recruited in two cross-sectional studies. From the total number (n = 3528) of adolescents studied in HELENA, we included in this analysis 3192, 53.1% girls. Adolescents with complete information on waist circumference (WC), height, socioeconomic status indicators and confounding variables (center, physical activity and sedentary behavior) were included. Socioeconomic indicators were measured through a self-reported questionnaire in order to assess the family social status from the adolescents. Multilevel linear regression models were used and results were adjusted for potential confounders.
Results. In European girls, mother's and father's education levels were inversely associated with waist to height ratio (p < 0.0001). Waist to height ratio (WHtR) was 0.42, when fathers and mothers had the highest level of education and 0.45 when they had the lowest level. The same inversely association was observed in European girls between FAS and WHtR, (p = 0.0112) that showed 0.43 when they had the highest level of FAS and, 0.44 when the level was the lowest. However, this association was not observed between FAS and WC. Similarly, the inverse association was observed in European girls, when evaluating the relationship between parental education and WC. On the highest level of mother's education, WC was 69.3 cm (p = 0.0099) and for father's education was 69.2 cm (p = 0.0014). There was not any association in boys and when considering parent's occupation.
Conclusions. In European adolescent girls, abdominal obesity (WC and WHtR) was associated with the education levels of the parents. Health promotion programs aiming to reduce abdominal obesity should give special consideration to low education level families.
Corresponding author. elsie@centerlink.com.br
