The Association between Marital Status and Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Tamara Nikolic Turnic,
Vladimir Jakovljevic,
Zulfiya Strizhkova,
Nikita Polukhin,
Dmitry Ryaboy,
Mariia Kartashova,
Margarita Korenkova,
Valeriia Kolchina,
Vladimir Reshetnikov
Affiliations
Tamara Nikolic Turnic
Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia
Vladimir Jakovljevic
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia
Zulfiya Strizhkova
N.A. Semashko Public Health and Healthcare Department, F.F. Erismann Institute of Public Health, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119435 Moscow, Russia
Nikita Polukhin
Department of Public Health and Medical Social Sciences, Synergy University, Leningradskiy Prospect 80k46, 125315 Moscow, Russia
Dmitry Ryaboy
N.A. Semashko Public Health and Healthcare Department, F.F. Erismann Institute of Public Health, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119435 Moscow, Russia
Mariia Kartashova
N.A. Semashko Public Health and Healthcare Department, F.F. Erismann Institute of Public Health, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119435 Moscow, Russia
Margarita Korenkova
N.A. Semashko Public Health and Healthcare Department, F.F. Erismann Institute of Public Health, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119435 Moscow, Russia
Valeriia Kolchina
N.A. Semashko Public Health and Healthcare Department, F.F. Erismann Institute of Public Health, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119435 Moscow, Russia
Vladimir Reshetnikov
N.A. Semashko Public Health and Healthcare Department, F.F. Erismann Institute of Public Health, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119435 Moscow, Russia
Background: Obesity was included in the International Classification of Diseases in 1990 as a chronic disease characterized by the excessive accumulation of body fat and a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 kg/m2. Aim: This systematic review was aimed to examine the role of marital status in determining body mass index and the risk of obesity. Methods: We performed a systematic literature search using three databases (PubMed (Medline), Embase, and Google Scholar) with the search query. Results: Of the 105 studies included in the systematic review, 76 studies (72%) reported a greater risk of obesity in married individuals compared to unmarried individuals. A meta-analysis of 24 studies included a total population of 369,499 participants: 257,257 married individuals (40,896 of whom had obesity) and 112,242 comparison subjects (single, divorced, or widowed individuals, 15,084 of whom had obesity). Odds ratios for obesity found a significant pooled odds ratio for obesity in married individuals compared with controls (OR 1.70; 95% CI 1.38–2.10). The socioeconomic environment was not the same throughout the period of studies analyzed. The odds of obesity in married individuals during economic crises was greater than during the period between crises: OR 2.56 (95% CI 2.09–3.13) during crises vs. OR 1.55 (95% CI 1.24–1.95) between crises. Conclusion: The results of this review confirm the importance of considering marital status in determining the risk of obesity.
