Health services quality and sustainability rely mainly on a qualified workforce. Adequately trained public health personnel protect and promote health, avert health disparities, and allow rapid response to health emergencies. Evaluations of the healthcare workforce typically focus on physicians and nurses in curative medical venues. Few have evaluated public health workforce capacity building or sought to identify gaps between the academic training of public health employees and the needs of the healthcare organizations in which they are employed. This project report describes the conceptual framework of “Sharing European Educational Experience in Public Health for Israel (SEEEPHI): harmonization, employability, leadership, and outreach”—a multinational Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education funded project. By sharing European educational experience and knowledge, the project aims to enhance professionalism and strengthen leadership aspects of the public health workforce in Israel to meet the needs of employers and the country. The project’s work packages, each jointly led by an Israeli and European institution, include field qualification analysis, mapping public health academic training programs, workforce adaptation, and building leadership capacity. In the era of global health changes, it is crucial to assess the capacity building of a well-qualified and competent workforce that enables providing good health services, reaching out to minorities, preventing health inequalities, and confronting emerging health challenges. We anticipate that the methods developed and the lessons learned within the Israeli context will be adaptable and adoptable by other countries through local and cultural adjustments.

Objectives: The study aimed to generate insights on how best to enhance the compatibility between Public Health training program competencies and the implementation of competencies required by employers to address current and emerging public health needs.

Methods: A survey adapted from the WHO-ASPHER Competency Framework for the Public Health Workforce was conducted online among Israeli public health managers from August to November 2021. The survey was formulated to mirror Essential Public Health Operations. Forty-nine managers participated (37.6% response rate) in an assessment of 44 public health competencies and the core organizational public health operations.

Results: Analysis of Essential Public Health Operations revealed a notably high deficiency reported for Advocacy Communication and Social Mobilization for health competencies. Collaborations and Partnership and, Leadership and System Thinking were the most reported insufficient competencies, particularly in health departments and research institutes. Governmental offices reported Organizational Literacy and Adaptability competencies being deficient. Deficiencies were more impactful as the level of expertise increased.

Conclusion: There is a clear need for public health professionals to acquire versatile and innovative competencies in response to the ever-changing health threats.

The recent availability of longitudinal data on the possible association of different lifestyles with dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD) allow some preliminary conclusions on this topic. This review systematically analyses the published longitudinal studies exploring the effect of social network, physical leisure, and non-physical activity on cognition and dementia and then summarises the current evidence taking into account the limitations of the studies and the biological plausibility. For all three lifestyle components (social, mental, and physical), a beneficial effect on cognition and a protective effect against dementia are suggested. The three components seem to have common pathways, rather than specific mechanisms, which might converge within three major aetiological hypotheses for dementia and AD: the cognitive reserve hypothesis, the vascular hypothesis, and the stress hypothesis. Taking into account the accumulated evidence and the biological plausibility of these hypotheses, we conclude that an active and socially integrated lifestyle in late life protects against dementia and AD. Further research is necessary to better define the mechanisms of these associations and better delineate preventive and therapeutic strategies.

Background: There is accumulating evidence in the literature that leisure engagement has a beneficial effect on dementia. Most studies have grouped activities according to whether they were predominantly mental, physical or social. Since many activities contain more than one component, we aimed to verify the effect of all three major components on the dementia risk, as well as their combined effect. Methods: A mental, social and physical component score was estimated for each activity by the researchers and a sample of elderly persons. The correlation between the ratings of the authors and the means of the elderly subjects' ratings was 0.86. The study population consisted of 776 nondemented subjects, aged 75 years and above, living in Stockholm, Sweden, who were still nondemented after 3 years and were followed for 3 more years to detect incident dementia cases. Results: Multi-adjusted relative risks (RRs) of dementia for subjects with higher mental, physical and social component score sums were 0.71 (95% CI: 0.49-1.03), 0.61 (95% CI: 0.42-0.87) and 0.68 (95% CI: 0.47-0.99), respectively. The most beneficial effect was present for subjects with high scores in all or in two of the components (RR of dementia = 0.53; 95% CI: 0.36-0.78). Conclusions: These findings suggest that a broad spectrum of activities containing more than one of the components seems to be more beneficial than to be engaged in only one type of activity

AIM: Competency frameworks are essential for analyzing capabilities of Schools of Public Health to adequately prepare public health (PH) professionals to address contemporary challenges. This study maps the competency profiles of PH training programs in Israel using a novel curriculum mapping tool.

METHODS: This study assessed all five Israeli Health Education Institutions (HEIs) offering MPH or Bachelors in Public Health (BPH) degrees across 57 competencies in six domains to determine the extent to which competencies were addressed in the curriculum. The competencies list was based on the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER) List of Core Competences for the Public Health Professional, adapted for Israeli HEIs.

RESULTS: The core curricula in the four MPH programs addressed 45-84% of all competencies. The BPH program addressed 79% of competencies. In MPH programs, the core curricula addressed most or all competencies in the Methods and the Socioeconomic Determinants of Health domains. Competencies in the domains of Environmental Determinants of Health, Health Policy, Economics & Organization, and Health Promotion and Prevention were less comprehensively addressed in most core curricula. Students' opportunities to broaden their exposure to competencies outside the core curricula were context dependent.

DISCUSSION: The curriculum competencies mapping tool that was developed served to assess both strengths and shortcomings in PH education in Israel. The findings demonstrate a highly variable array of PH curriculum models in Israeli HEIs, as well as overall shortcomings in the Environmental, Health Policy Economics and Organization, and Health Promotion and Prevention domains. This analysis has already led to reassessment of the curriculum, and will continue to guide the next steps to increase the harmonization of PH training curricula and to better meet PH challenges in Israel.

There is an urgent need to train public health professionals at undergraduate level who can face global challenges that are due to longstanding conflicts, increasing number of displaced people, natural disasters, and growing inequalities between and within countries. Future public health professionals will lead activities ranging from national and international community planning, strategic work geared towards integration of migrants and crisis management of refugees, and humanitarian services. Consequently, the need for public health professionals with deep and wide theoretical and practical competencies in global contexts has become most relevant. In response to this need, The Swedish Red Cross University College has created such a programme leading to a Bachelor degree in Public Health Science, specialization Global Health.

Det föreligger ett akut behov att utbilda folkhälsovetare på grundnivå och som kan möta de globala utmaningarna. Hälsoutmaningarna förändras i takt med långvariga konflikter, människor på flykt, stora katastrofer och en ökande ojämlikhet mellan och inom länder, i en omvärld som är i ständig rörelse. Dagens och morgondagens folkhälsovetare ska kunna arbeta med olika aktörer på skilda arenor; med hälso- och sjukdomsprevention kommunalt, regionalt, nationellt (regering, myndigheter) och internationellt (europeiskt och globalt). Det innefattar även integrationsarbete, internationellt biståndsarbete och humanitärt arbete. Behovet av professionella folkhälsovetare med breda och djupa teoretiska och praktiska kompetenser i globala sammanhang har därför blivit högst relevant. Därför agerar nu Röda Korsets Högskola och startar ett folkhälsovetenskapligt program på kandidatnivå med global inriktning.

The role of nurses in identifying and responding to family violence and violence against women has long been established. However, nurses’ readiness to fully assume this role remains low due to various barriers and the sensitive nature of the subject. As part of capacity building to address this problem, an additional national qualitative learning target, i.e., to “show knowledge about men’s violence against women and violence in close relationships”, was introduced into the Swedish Higher Education Ordinance for nursing and seven other educational programs between 2017 and 2018. The aim of this paper is to describe how the national qualitative learning target is incorporated into the undergraduate nursing curriculum at the Swedish Red Cross University College. An overview of relevant teaching and learning activities and how they are organized is first presented, followed by the presentation of a proposed didactic model: Dare to Ask and Act! The model details a step-by-step progression from facts and figures, including the role of gender norms, to recognizing signs of abuse in complex clinical situations, as well as developing skills that enhance the courage to ask and act. Due to the sensitive nature of violence victimization, the proposed model reflects the importance of making the subject a reoccurring theme in undergraduate nursing education in order to boost nursing students’ interests and confidence to “Dare to Ask and Act!”. The model also shows that making the subject a recurring theme can be achieved with minimal disruptions to and without overcrowding an existing curriculum.

År 2017 infördes ett nytt nationellt examensmål ”visa kunskap om mäns våld mot kvinnor och våld i nära relationer” enligt SFS 2017: 857, i högskoleför-ordningen (SFS 1993:100) för vissa utbildningsprogram, där sjuksköterske-programmet är inkluderat. Syftet med denna artikel är att presentera hur det nationella examensmålet har implementerats i sjuksköterskeprogrammet vid Röda Korsets Högskola. Först ges en översikt avseende relevanta undervis-nings- och lärandeaktiviteter och hur de organiseras genom programmets utbildningsplan. I de avslutande reflektionerna presenteras den didaktiska Våga fråga och agera! -modellen. Modellen är en sammanfattning av Röda Korsets Högskolas tillvägagångssätt, det vill säga en stegvis progression i utbildningen från fakta, statistik, normer och värderingar, till att studenterna lär sig hur de kan upptäckta tecken på våld i komplexa kliniska situationer samt vikten av att ha mod att agera. Avslutningsvis är det vår uppfattning att ett tydligt upplägg är viktigt för att uppnå intentionerna med det nationella examensmålet, nämligen: Våga fråga och agera!   

This thesis aims to describe the participation in leisure activities of elderly subjects and to detect their possible effect, if any, on the development of dementia. The data were derived from the Kungsholmen Project, which is a community-based prospective study on aging and dementia in people aged over 74 years, living in Stockholm, Sweden. The major findings are summarized below. Study I. The pattern of participation in leisure activities was related to contextual factors as well as to mental and physical health conditions. In spite of the advanced age, the majority of the population was active, as 70% participated in at least one activity. Reading (19%) was the most prevalent individual activity, and mental activities (43%) the most prevalent activity type. Older age, female gender, low education, poor or limited social network, mental disorders, and physical limitation were all correlated with a decreased engagement in at least one activity . Contextual factors and health-related factors were differentially associated with the five activity types. Study II. We aimed to verify the hypothesis that mental, social and physical components are relevant protective factors against dementia, and that a combined beneficial effect may be present over a 6-year follow-up period. Multi-adjusted relative risks (RRs) of dementia for subjects with higher mental, physical and social component scores were 0.71 (95% CI: 0.49 1.03), 0.61 (95% CI: 0.42 0.87) and 0.68 (95% CI: 0.47 0.99), respectively. The most beneficial effect was present for subjects with high scores in all or in two of the components (RR of dementia=0.53; 95% CI: 0.36 0.78). Study III. The hypothesis that an active lifestyle may protect against dementia development was further tested by using principal component analysis to characterize the exposure. Among a set of lifestyle variables, three underlying factors were identified: physical, mental and social factors. All the factors showed an independent protective effect on dementia development. The relative risks (RRs) ranged from 0.60 to 0.70. When these factors were integrated into an Active Lifestyle Index, a significant dose-response association was observed, Compared with low level of engagement (low in at least two of the factors), the RR of dementia was 0.66 (95% CI: 0.49-0.89) for the moderate level (high scores in two factors), and RR=0.51 (95% CI: 0.31-0.85) for the high level (high scores in all three factors). Study IV. The hypothesis that an active lifestyle delays the dementia onset was verified over a 9-year follow-up period. The lifestyle factors of the mental, social and physical component scores estimated in a previous study (study II) were studied in relation to age at dementia onset. Results showed that dementia developed at a significantly later age in individuals who had a higher level of participation in activities with high physical, mental or social components. When the three components were integrated, we found that the broader spectrum of participation (higher levels in at least two of the components) the later the age at dementia onset (β 0.62; P<0.01). Conclusions. Even in the advanced age, elderly persons are still active, being limited in their participation only by mental disorders or by physical limitation. An active lifestyle, defined as a higher level of participation in leisure activities with either mental, social or physical component may decrease the risk of dementia and postpone its onset.

AIMS: To explore the underlying dimensions of a set of interrelated lifestyle factors and test the hypothesis that an active lifestyle may protect against dementia. METHODS: The study population consisted of 776 participants aged >or=75 years who were dementia-free at both baseline and the first follow-up examinations. Participation in leisure activities was assessed at baseline of the survey, and principal component analysis was used to identify their underlying factors. RESULTS: During the 9-year follow-up from exposure assessment, 212 subjects developed dementia. Higher factor scores of physical, mental, and social dimensions of an active lifestyle was each related to a lower dementia risk. A significant dose-response association between participation in the diverse dimensions and lower dementia risk was observed. CONCLUSION: An active lifestyle may protect older people against dementia, and the higher level of engagement the stronger protection.

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that an active lifestyle delays age at dementia onset. This study included 388 incident dementia cases (DSM-III-R criteria) that developed over a 9-year follow-up period among 1,375 baseline dementia-free community dwellers with good cognitive function (MMSE >23) (mean age = 81.2) from the Kungsholmen Project. An active lifestyle was defined as participation in mental, physical, or social activity. We used linear regression models to estimate influence of baseline active lifestyle on age at onset of incident dementia and general linear models to estimate mean age at dementia onset. Age at onset of dementia was significantly older in persons who had higher levels of participation in mental, physical, or social activity (β: 0.18, 0.29 and 0.23 respectively, p < 0.001 for all the activities) independent of education, medical condition, functional status, and other confounders including APOE. When the three types of activities were integrated into an index, we found that the broader the spectrum of participation in the activities, the later the onset of disease (β = 0.93, p = 0.01 for participating in two activities, and β = 1.42, p < 0.001 for three activities). There were 17 months difference in mean age at dementia onset between the inactive group and the most active group. An active lifestyle operates as a protective factor for dementia by delaying the clinical onset of the disease. These findings highlight the relevance of encouraging old adults to have active lifestyles, which could have a great impact on public health.

In its political structural reform, the Japanese government presents the urgency to consider an increase in labor mobility that includes the issue of immigration to Japan. Women from Southeast Asia represent a large proportion of this immigration. The aim of this case study was to identify factors associated with subjective well-being (SWB) among Filipino women migrant workers in Tokyo, Japan. The study used an analytic journalistic approach. A focus group interview was conducted with three women and the data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Communication, support network, faith, and sense of identity were identified as the main factors contributing to SWB among these women. In conclusion, the feminization of migration will continue; therefore, better understanding about the factors associated to SWB is needed to ease the impact of migration on home and host countries.

Japan has become a super-aged society, facing demographic challenges resulting in societal and economic consequences. In its political structural reform, the Japanese government presented the urgency to consider the increase in labor mobility that includes the issues of immigration and female employment, both domestic and foreign. The aim of this study was to explore, from a Japanese woman’s perspective, the intertwined issues of immigration. An in-depth interview was performed and analyzed by content analysis with a methodological departure in qualitative journalistic interviewing. The case was a Japanese woman with a unique profile. The results of this study, family permanency and group cohesiveness, can contribute to understand the potential interdependency between the roles, within the Japanese society, of foreign female domestic workers and Japanese women. In conclusion, it appears that the pivotal role of women in the Japanese society and the global feminization of migration challenge Japanese social consistency.

The purpose of this study was to describe the psychosocial experience of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies' nurses upon their return from deployment at an Ebola Treatment Center during an Ebola virus disease outbreak in Kenema, Sierra Leone, between 2014 and 2015. The following three psychosocial aspects related to pre-, during, and postdeployment were explored: stress management, sociocultural exposure, and attitudes from others. This is a descriptive qualitative study with a cross-sectional design. Questionnaires were administered to 50 nurses, of which 44 responded. Eight themes were identified in relation to the three psychosocial aspects of interest: professional- and self-confidence, pragmatism, wellness activities, human contact, cultural competency, professionalism, pariah, and/or hero. One of the most important findings in this article relates to the essential mental health support pre- and during deployment with an emphasis upon return when the risk of isolation and stigmatization is greater. In conclusion, more research is needed about the psychosocial challenges met by nurses to prepare and support them as increasing threat of emerging infectious diseases puts pressure on global health systems.

The COVID-19 vaccination has created turbulence in many communities. The dilemma has been particularly alive among health professionals such as nurses. As lecturers at the Swedish Red Cross University, whose academic profile is global nursing and global health, we promote the importance of the nursing profession as advocates for the COVID-19 vaccination. The main objective of this commentary is to reflect on the Red Cross Red Crescent (RCRC) fundamental tenet based on its principles in relation to nursing commitment beyond traditional responsibilities in times of pandemic when urgency, reactivity, and pedagogical health education become a priority. The notion of ‘globality’ and the contextualization and modernization of nursing responsibilities are associated with these professional reflections. We conclude that activism and advocacy, on issues crucial to planetary health and the advancement of social justice globally, are the responsibility of nurses. Furthermore, the liability of RCRC nurses is accentuated by the seven principles and the significance of humanity within the global perspective.

The overall purpose of this study was to initiate the process of developing a comprehensive theoretical framework associating the three entities defining the Swedish Red Cross University College (SRCUC): global nursing, global health and Red Cross and Red Crescent's perspective (RCRC). To do so, an analysis of nursing bachelor's theses over two periods (2011–2012 and 2015–2016) was initially needed to capture the academic essence. Two specific aims were defined: 1) To describe how global nursing and global health, in conjunction with the RCRC perspective, were addressed and contextualized in nursing bachelor's theses; and 2) To investigate how students’ knowledge in global awareness and vision has developed over time. Two overarching themes were identified: Conceptualizing caring relations and moving towards the body of global awareness and Understanding the art of nursing and ethics in complex nursing actions. The Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR) guidelines were used to ensure the trustworthiness of the findings. By promoting relevant knowledge, the SRCUC prepares future nurses for upcoming health needs at the planetary level. 

The objective of this study is to describe the pattern of participation in leisure activities in an older population in relation to contextual factors as well as to mental and physical health. A cohort of 1,623 participants aged 75 or older living in Stockholm, Sweden was asked to list all the leisure activities they were engaged in. These were successively organised into 31 major categories and further grouped into mental, social, physical, productive and recreational types. The pattern of participation was examined in relation to age, gender, contextual factors (education, social network) and health status (depressive symptoms, cognitive impairment, dementia, somatic diseases and physical limitation). In spite of their advanced age, the majority of the population was active, as 70 per cent had participated in at least one activity. Reading (19%) was the most prevalent individual activity, and mental activities (43%) the most prevalent activity type. Older age, female gender, low education status, having a poor or limited social network, mental disorders, and physical limitation, were all factors correlated with a decreased engagement in 'at least one activity '. Contextual factors and health-related factors were related to the five activity types in different ways. The pattern of participation in leisure activities is associated with multiple factors and their recognition is essential to the facilitation of an active lifestyle in the older population

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of hypothyroidism among hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and its related factors, and to assess the prevalence of macrovascular and microvascular diseases among type 2 diabetes mellitus inpatients with hypothyroidism and euthyroidism. A total of 1662 type 2 diabetes mellitus inpatients hospitalized at the Metabolic Diseases Hospital, Tianjin Medical University from 1 January 2008 to 1 March 2013 were included in this study. Information on demographic and anthropometric factors and additional variables related to hypothyroidism were collected from medical records. Prevalence rates were calculated and standardized using direct method based on the age-specific and sex-specific structure of all participants. Data were analyzed using binary logistic regression with adjustment for potential confounders. The prevalence of hypothyroidism among type 2 diabetes mellitus inpatients was 6.8 %, and 77.0 % of the patients with hypothyroidism had subclinical hypothyroidism. The prevalence of hypothyroidism increased with age, and was higher in women (10.8 %) than in men (3.4 %). Older age (odds ratio, 1.74; 95 % confidence interval, 1. 05 to 2.89), female gender (odds ratio, 2.02; 95 % confidence interval, 1.05 to 3.87), and positive thyroid peroxidase antibody (odds ratio, 4.99; 95 % confidence interval, 2.83 to 8.79) were associated with higher odds of hypothyroidism among type 2 diabetes mellitus inpatients. The type 2 diabetes mellitus inpatients with hypothyroidism had higher prevalence of cerebrovascular diseases than those with euthyroidism after adjustment for age and gender. The prevalence of hypothyroidism among type 2 diabetes mellitus inpatients was 6.8 %, and most patients had subclinical hypothyroidism. Older age, female gender, and positive thyroid peroxidase antibody could be indicators for detecting hypothyroidism in type 2 diabetes mellitus inpatients.

Background: Nurses are on the forefront and play a key role in global disaster responses. Nevertheless, they are often not prepared for the challenges they are facing and research is scarce regarding the nursing skills required for first responders during a disaster situation.Objectives: To investigate how returnee nursing staff experienced deployment before, during and after having worked for the Red Cross at an Ebola Treatment Center in Kenema, West Africa, and to supply knowledge on how to better prepare and support staff for viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks.Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional approach. Questionnaires were administered to nurses having worked with patients suffering from Ebola in 2014 and 2015. Data collection covered aspects of pre-, during and post-deployment on clinical training, personal health, stress management, leadership styles, socio-cultural exposure and knowledge transfer, as well as attitudes from others. Data was analysed using both quantitative and qualitative methods.Results: Response-rate was 88%: forty-four nurses from 15 different countries outside West Africa answered the questionnaire. The respondents identified the following needs for improvement: increased mental health and psychosocial support and hands-on coping strategies with focus on pre- and post-deployment; more pre-deployment task-oriented clinical training; and workload reduction, as exhaustion is a risk for safety.Conclusions: This study supplies knowledge on how to better prepare health care staff for future viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks and other disasters. Participants were satisfied with their pre-deployment physical health preparation, whereas they stressed the importance of mental health support combined with psychosocial support after deployment. Furthermore, additional pre-clinical training was requested.

OBJECTIVES: The role of different body fat indicators and age in assessing the prevalence of obesity is unclear. We aimed to examine to what extent different body fat indicators including BMI, waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) affect the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Chinese adults taking age into account.

METHODS: This population-based cross-sectional study included a random sample of 7,603 adults aged 20-79 years across entire Tianjin, China. BMI, WC, and WHR were used to define overweight and obesity following standard criteria. Prevalence rates were calculated and standardized using local age- and gender-specific census data. Logistic regression was used in data analysis.

RESULTS: Using the combination of BMI, WC, and WHR, the prevalence of overweight and obesity was 69.8%, and increased with age till the age of 60 and a decline thereafter. The prevalence of overweight assessed by BMI was higher than that assessed by WC and WHR, while the prevalence of obesity defined by BMI was much lower than that defined by WC or WHR.

CONCLUSION: The prevalence of overweight and obesity is about 70% among Chinese adults. Adiposity indicators and age play an important role in the prevalence of overweight and obesity.

Hypertension is common in adults and often undiagnosed, and the prevalence of pre- and undiagnosed-hypertension remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of pre- and undiagnosed-hypertension and their correlates among urban Chinese adults. A total of 7435 participants aged 20-79 were included in this study. Data on demographics, lifestyle and medical history were collected through a structured interview. Pre- and undiagnosed-hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure/ diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP) of 120-139/80-89 mm Hg and SBP⩾140 mm Hg and/or DBP⩾90 mm Hg, respectively, in participants without a history of hypertension and use of antihypertensive medication. Prevalence rates were calculated and standardized using local age- and gender-specific census data. Data were analysed using multinomial logistic regression with adjustment for potential confounders. Of all the participants, 2726 (36.7%) were diagnosed with pre-hypertension and 919 (12.3%) with undiagnosed-hypertension. Undiagnosed-hypertension accounted for 37.3% of all participants with hypertension. The prevalence of pre-hypertension gradually decreased with age, while undiagnosed-hypertension increased, although presenting different changing patterns among men and women. In a fully adjusted multinomial logistic regression, age, male sex, low socio-economic status (SES), abdominal obesity, alcohol drinking, physical inactivity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were significantly associated with increased odds of pre- and undiagnosed-hypertension. In conclusions, the prevalence of pre- and undiagnosed-hypertension was ~50% among urban Chinese adults. Abdominal obesity, low SES, alcohol drinking, physical inactivity and T2DM may be indicators for pre- and undiagnosed-hypertension.

BACKGROUND: China has been going through significant changes in social and economical aspects and with great socioeconomic disparity in different regions. However, data on the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and obesity are not available in Tianjin, China.

AIM: We aimed to investigate the association between SES and high adiposity among the adult population in Tianjin.

SUBJECTS & METHODS: A total of 7351 individuals aged 20-79 were included in this study. Socioeconomic information was collected through the interview following a structured questionnaire. Waist circumference, body weight and height were measured following standard procedures. Overweight and obesity were defined according to the criteria of the Working Group on Obesity in China. Data were analysed using multinomial logistic regression with adjustment for potential confounders.

RESULTS: Stratified analysis showed that higher monthly income and education were related to decreased odds of abdominal overweight/obesity in women, while high education was associated with increased odds of general overweight/obesity in men. Retirement increased the odds of abdominal overweight and obesity, and nonmanual work was associated with low odds of abdominal obesity in women.

CONCLUSIONS: SES was associated with general and abdominal overweight/obesity and sex may play a role in such an association.