Variation in body mass index among Polish adults: Effects of sex, age, birth cohort, and social class

Variation in the body mass index (BMI) among occupationally active inhabita nts of one Polish urban center was studied by means of a three-factor ANOVA . The material is cross-sectional and comprises 32,750 men and women aged 2 2-60 years, examined in five successive surveys between 1983-1999. The fact ors considered in each sex were: 1) age category, 2) year of examination, a nd 3) social class. The increase of BMI with age is markedly greater among women than among men. No sustained intergeneration trend towards increased BMI was detectable in either sex. The BMI means rise regularly with decreas ing position on the social scale in both sexes, but this effect is much mor e dramatic in women. The latter finding suggests that the condition of bein g situated low on the social scale is conducive to growth of fatness with a ge, markedly more so in women than in men. The absence of a secular trend i n BMI means during the period considered contrasts with results reported fo r a number of other countries. This finding is intriguing, because Poland u nderwent abrupt and profound socio-economic transformation in the early 199 0s. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.