Influence of economic crisis on dietary quality and obesity rates

Abstract

The objective was to investigate how socio-economic changes have modified body mass index values and dietary patterns in the Spanish population. A comparative cross-sectional analysis of the last two iterations of the Spanish National Health Survey (SNSH) was done. The independent variables were sex, age, education level, employment situation, and social class. Outcome variables were: poor diet quality and obesity. Economic crisis increases the probability to become obese and to have a poor diet and employment situation is the variable that showed the greatest differences between years. While in 2006 to be unemployed did not represent a risk to have a poor diet [odds ratio (OR): 0.74; p<.005], in 2012 it did (OR: 1.27; p<.005). Economic changes can modify diet quality and nutritional status, increasing the risk to have a poor diet or to be obese.