Socioeconomic status, overweight and obesity in Latin American cities: a systematic review

Context:
Currently
it is not well understood to what extent there are obesity inequalities by socioeconomic
status (SES)
in urban Latin America.

Objective: This study reviewed the literature
assessing associations between overweight, obesity and SES in adults.

Data sources: Pubmed and Scielo databases.

Data extraction: Data extraction was
conducted using the PRISMA guidelines. We extracted data on the direction of
the association between SES (e.g. education and income), overweight (BMI ≥25
and <30 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI≥30 kg/m2) in Latin
American urban regions. Relative differences between low and high SES groups
were assessed and defined
a priori as significant at p<0.05.

Data analysis: Thirty-one studies met
our inclusion criteria and most were conducted in Brazil (22) and Mexico. Only
one study presented just non-significant associations. Fifty percent of
associations between education or income and overweight were negative/inverse.
Regarding obesity, 80% were negative and 20% positive. Most negative
associations were found in women. Associations between BMI and SES usually
followed the same pattern, except in men where they varied depending on the
indicator used.

Conclusion: Low SES individuals in
urban Latin America, especially women, have higher BMI levels highlighting the
need for interventions.