Socioeconomic Factors Boosting Female Obesity in Turkey and Its Income Related Inequality
Abstract
This study analyses inequality in obesity for adult females using TurkStat “2008 Health Survey Data” since obesity prevalence among adult females observed higher than male counterparts at different socioeconomic dimensions such as income, education and occupation. This study is specifically aimed to find which socio demographic variables cause inequality among adult female obese in Turkey. In order to asses the relationship between socioeconomic variables and female obesity in Turkey, a probit model is estimated including explanatory variables age, education, income, location, marital status and occupation. Based on Probit model result, various concentration indexes are computed to evaluate income related distribution of female obesity between poor and rich. The total concentration index of obesity is found as 0.2186 which means income related inequality in obesity is concentrated among poor. According to the concentration index measure age groups (positive), education status (negative), marital status (negative) and occupation status (negative) are the most important contributing socioeconomic variables to inequality in adult female obesity in the country.
Keywords
References
- Bilger, M., Kruger, E.J., Finkelstein, E.A. (2017). Measuring socieconomic inequality in obesity:looking beyond the obesity threshold. Health Economics, 26, 1052-1066.
- Buyukgebiz, A. (2005 internet report). 60 Trillion was spent on obesity. Access Date: 21.01.2013, bwww.diyetform.com.
- Caballero, B. (2007). The global epidemic of obesity: An Overview. Epidemiologic Reviews, 29, 1-5.
- Candaş, A. & Buğra, A. (2010). Inequality in Turkey: An overview of permanent inequalities. the Boğaziçi University social policy forum, open society foundation, Working Paper (In Turkish entitled “Türkiye’de Eşitsizlikler: Kalıcı Eşitsizliklere Genel Bir Bakış”, Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Sosyal Politika Formu, Açık Toplum Vakfı); 1-133 (www.spf.boun.edu.tr)
- Cawley, J. (2004). The impact of obesity on wages. The Journal of Human Resources, 39(2); 451-474.
- Chen, Z. & Roy, K.(2009). Calculating concentration index with repetitive values of indicators of economic welfare. Journal of Health Economics, 28, 169-175.
- Clarke, P, O’Malley, P. M., Johnston, L. D., Schulenberg, E. (2009). Social disparities in BMI trajectories across adulthood by gender, race/ethnicity and lifetime socio-economic position: 1986-2004. International Journal of Epidemiology, 38, 499-509.
- Clarke, P. & Van Ourti, T. (2010). Calculating the concentration index when income is grouped. Journal of Health Economics, 29(1), 151-157.
Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Economics
Journal Section
Research Article
Authors
Publication Date
April 25, 2020
Submission Date
September 24, 2019
Acceptance Date
April 13, 2020
Published in Issue
Year 2020 Volume: 19 Number: 2
Cited By
AKADEMİSYENLERİN OBESİTE FARKINDALIKLARININ BELİRLENMESİ: TOROS ÜNİVERSİTESİ ÖRNEĞİ
Uluslararası İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Dergisi
https://doi.org/10.29131/uiibd.999353