Status anxiety is higher at all levels of income in more unequal countries.

Source: Redrawn from Layte and Whelan (2014), data kindly provided by Richard Layte

European Study: Socioeconomic Status Strongly Tied to BMI in Kids

A new European study finds a strong link between a family’s socioeconomic status and children’s body mass index (BMI).

The findings, published in the journal Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, show that BMI differences emerge in the preschool years and continue to widen across childhood and into early adolescence.

“This research shows that inequalities in health and life expectancy start early in life and are well established by age 5,” said senior author Dr. Richard Layte, a professor of sociology at Trinity College in Dublin. “Most children who are obese have a higher risk of being obese in adulthood with long-term health consequences.”

For the study, researchers from Trinity College analyzed data on height and weight from 41,399 children measured over time in three European countries — Ireland, the U.K., and Portugal — using the mother’s highest level of education as a marker of socio-economic position.

The findings show that while there were no differences in BMI between children grouped by their mothers’ education in infancy, differences in BMI emerged by pre-school age (3-5 years) with children from primary- and secondary-educated maternal backgrounds gaining body mass at a faster rate compared with children whose mothers had higher education levels. These differences continued to widen as the children aged in all three countries.

In general, the authors found that children whose mothers had the lowest educational levels were more likely to be overweight or obese at any age compared with children whose mothers had the highest levels of education.

This is a worrying trend as children who are obese in early life are more likely to maintain this status into adolescence and adulthood, increasing risk for chronic disease later in life.

“This study shows that children from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds gain body mass more quickly than their more advantaged peers, are more likely to be overweight or obese from preschool age onwards, and are more likely to become obese if previously non-overweight,” said lead author Dr. Cathal McCrory, a research assistant professor in psychology at Trinity College.

“They are quite literally carrying a heavier burden of disease from much earlier in life. These findings reinforce the necessity of challenging the childhood obesity epidemic at early ages as these patterns are difficult to change once they have become entrenched. Urgent government action is now required to understand the material, social, and structural barriers that contribute to these stark socioeconomic differences in obesity risk.”

Source: Trinity College Dublin

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'Full outbreak response': First Rockhampton dengue fever case in decades

"The individual has no history of overseas travel or travel to north Queensland, where dengue outbreaks are known to occur," Dr Khandaker said. "It is known that Aedes aegypti, a mosquito capable of transmitting dengue, is present in some areas of Rockhampton, however as mosquito numbers are small and located in areas with low population density, locally acquired cases do not usually occur. "Queensland Health has comprehensive dengue management plans to manage cases and outbreaks of dengue." Ironically, as Rockhampton was suffering a sudden dengue alert, the far north Queensland city of Cairns was celebrating a decade since the last major outbreak of the disease. While there have been isolated cases in the years since, there has never again been an outbreak like the one in 2009, in which more than 900 people were afflicted with the disease, resulting in one death. Tropical Public Health Services director Richard Gair said management strategies put in place in far north Queensland since then had been very successful in preventing a similar outbreak. Dr Gair said while the health infrastructure around Rockhampton was not used to dealing with a dengue outbreak, he didnt think there would be any large scale proliferation of the disease. The main concentrations of Aedes aegypti are usually found in far north Queensland but there are a few pockets of this mosquito further south, and very occasionally we will see transmission, he said. Thats not an indication of a broader shift to the south. Its been well over 50 years since weve seen a significant outbreak of dengue south of far north Queensland. Cairns resident Ron Crew has contracted dengue three times, including during the 2009 outbreak, and said the effects of the disease are debilitating. "The third time I got it I was very, very ill - I had a temperature of over 42 degrees for over 4 days, I had an incredible headache, muscle aches, bone aches, he said. "I lost 22 kilos, and my skin started peeling off, my hair started falling out and I was like a match with the wood scraped off. I would urge everyone to be careful in their own properties and where they see water thats in containers that mosquitos can get near to get rid of them, because thats where they breed. Dr Khandaker stressed the dengue virus does not spread directly from person to person, so the best protection against mosquito-borne diseases like dengue is to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. "There are a number of methods in which residents can protect themselves, including using mosquito coils or plug-in mosquito repellent devices inside. Screen living and sleeping areas," he said. "Wear long-sleeved, light-coloured clothing, and cover your feet. Use insect repellent containing DEET (diethyl toluamide) or picaridin and reapply according to the label. "The mosquito that transmits dengue lives and breeds around domestic premises and bites during the day." The typical symptoms of dengue fever include the sudden onset of fever, extreme tiredness, intense headache, muscle and joint pain, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, rash, minor bleeding from the nose or gums and/or heavy menstrual periods. Anyone with these symptoms should see their doctor immediately. More information on dengue fever can be found on the QH website or by calling 13 HEALTH. Toby Crockford is a breaking news reporter at the Brisbane Times Stuart Layt covers health, science and technology for the Brisbane Times. He was formerly the Queensland political reporter for AAP. Most Viewed in National Loading https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/full-outbreak-response-first-rockhampton-dengue-fever-case-in-decades-20190524-p51qop.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_national_queensland