Does social status predict adult smoking and obesity? Results from the 2000 Mexican National Health Survey

PWP-CCPR-2010-051

Abstract

Socioeconomic status is generally associated with better health, but recent evidence suggests that this ‘social gradient’ in health is not universal. This study examines whether social gradients in smoking and in obesity in Mexico—a country in the midst of rapid socioeconomic change—conform to, or diverge from, results for richer countries. Using a nationally-representative sample of 39 129 Mexican adults, we calculate the odds of smoking and of being obese by educational attainment and by household wealth. We find that higher education is associated with more smoking among women. Household assets are also associated with more smoking for women and for rural men. Increased education is associated with lower obesity for urban women, while obesity among rural women has a non-linear relationship to education. There is no relationship between education and obesity for men. Household wealth is associated with increased obesity for all groups except urban women. We conclude that socioeconomic determinants of smoking and obesity in Mexico are complex, with some flat gradients, and some strong positive or negative gradients. As household incomes, education, and urbanization continue to increase in Mexico, these patterns suggest potential targets for public health intervention now and in the future.