Silventoinen, K;
Lahtinen, H;
Kilpi, F;
Morris, TT;
Davey Smith, G;
Martikainen, P;
(2024)
Socio-economic differences in body mass index: the contribution of genetic factors.
International Journal of Obesity
10.1038/s41366-024-01459-w.
(In press).
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Abstract
Background: Higher mean body mass index (BMI) among lower socioeconomic position (SEP) groups is well established in Western societies, but the influence of genetic factors on these differences is not well characterized. Methods: We analyzed these associations using Finnish health surveys conducted between 1992 and 2017 (N = 33 523; 53% women) with information on measured weight and height, polygenic risk scores of BMI (PGS-BMI) and linked data from administrative registers to measure educational attainment, occupation-based social class and personal income. Results: In linear regressions, largest adjusted BMI differences were found between basic and tertiary educated men (1.4 kg/m2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2; 1.6) and women (2.5 kg/m2, 95% CI 2.3; 2.8), and inverse BMI gradients were also found for social class and income. These SEP differences arose partly because mean PGS-BMI was higher and partly because PGS-BMI predicted BMI more strongly in lower SEP groups. The inverse SEP gradients of BMI were steeper in women than in men, but sex differences were not found in the genetic contributions to these differences. Conclusions: Better understanding of the interplay between genes and environment provides insight into the mechanisms explaining SEP differences in BMI.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Socio-economic differences in body mass index: the contribution of genetic factors |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1038/s41366-024-01459-w |
| Publisher version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41366-024-01459-w |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The images or other third-party material in this article are included in the Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in the credit line; if the material is not included under the Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission from the license holder to reproduce the material. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
| Keywords: | Genetics, Risk factors |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Social Research Institute |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10185747 |
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