Temporal and Regional Variations in Social Disparities in Body Weight in China

Weixiang Luo, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)

Using data from the 1991-2009 China Health and Nutrition Surveys, this study examines temporal and regional variations in educational disparities in body weight in China. Specifically, we examine how educational disparities in body weight changed between 1991 and 2009, and how educational disparities in body weight vary across regions with different levels of economic development. We find that temporal and regional variations take on differential process for males and females. For females, educational disparities in body weight rise over time for China as a whole, as well as with regional level of economic development. For females, inequality in health determined by higher body weight status is expected once per-capita income reaches about 12,000 yuan. For males, high education remains a risk factor for higher body weight.