Australian study finds low-educated parents have more obese children

by William Atkins

Friday, 12 September 2008

Page 1 of 2 ! A survey of nearly 350,000 people in Australia has concluded that the rate of obesity for high-educated parents is less than half the rate for low-educated parents. Other startling conclusions show that awareness of the obesity problem in Australia “hasn’t made one iota of change.” The study was based on a survey conducted by Roy Morgan Research between April 2000 and March 2007. Dr. Jenny O'Dea, an associate professor at the University of Sydney, will present the findings of the study at a parliamentary inquiry (House of Representatives standing committee) being held on Thursday, September 11, 2008, in Sydney. O'Dea is also a dietitian and health-and-nutrition education researcher in nutrition and health education in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Sydney. In the survey, it showed that the rate of obesity in Australian adults was nearly double the rate in the lowest socio-economic group when compared to the highest socio-economic group. Nine hundred-sixty families with children from two to six years of age from ten primary schools across regional and rural New South Wales were studied. Some of the conclusions of the study include: •    Lowest socio-economic group of Australian adults: Nearly one out of three (33%) adults regarded as obese as of March 2007, but, seven years earlier (April 2000), that percentage was 26.6%. •    Highest socio-economic group of Australian adults: 17.8 per cent were obese in 2007, when compared to 15.9% in 2000. •    College educated (high educated) mothers had obese children in 2.7% cases, while 6% of low educated mothers (with less than ten years of education) had obese childen. •    College educated fathers had obese children in 3% of the time, while low-educated fathers had obese children in 7% of the cases. Dr. O'Dea made comments about the results of the study. Please see page two. << First page <   1 2 Next page > Last page - Post your comment >>

 

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