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A framework for evaluating the impact of obesity prevention strategies on socioeconomic inequalities in weight.

journal contribution
posted on 2014-10-01, 00:00 authored by Kathryn BackholerKathryn Backholer, Alison Beauchamp, Kylie BallKylie Ball, Gavin Turrell, J Martin, Julie WoodsJulie Woods, Anna PeetersAnna Peeters
We developed a theoretical framework to organize obesity prevention interventions by their likely impact on the socioeconomic gradient of weight. The degree to which an intervention involves individual agency versus structural change influences socioeconomic inequalities in weight. Agentic interventions, such as standalone social marketing, increase socioeconomic inequalities. Structural interventions, such as food procurement policies and restrictions on unhealthy foods in schools, show equal or greater benefit for lower socioeconomic groups. Many obesity prevention interventions belong to the agento-structural types of interventions, and account for the environment in which health behaviors occur, but they require a level of individual agency for behavioral change, including workplace design to encourage exercise and fiscal regulation of unhealthy foods or beverages. Obesity prevention interventions differ in their effectiveness across socioeconomic groups. Limiting further increases in socioeconomic inequalities in obesity requires implementation of structural interventions. Further empirical evaluation, especially of agento-structural type interventions, remains crucial.

History

Journal

American Journal of Public Health

Volume

104

Issue

10

Pagination

43 - 50

Publisher

American Public Health Association

Location

Washington, D.C.

eISSN

1541-0048

Language

eng

Publication classification

C Journal article; C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

2014, American Public Health Association