Socioeconomic status in relation to BMI in Macedonian adolescents

The objective of this study was to evaluate the nutritional status in Macedonian high school students in relation to their socioeconomic status (SES), education and employment of their parents. In this study 117 adolescent students (48 males and 69 females) at the age of 17 and 18 were included. We measured weight and height using standard procedures while BMI was calculated. The examinees completed the questionnaire including data for SES, parents’ education and employment. Male students had significantly higher standard deviation scores for weight, height and BMI compared with females. The level of education and employment of students’ mother had no significant influence on BMI but the level of education and employment of the father had a significant influence (p<0, 05). A student whose fathers’ was with a level of lower education had significantly higher sores for BMI opposite to those whose fathers have middle or higher level of education. Examinees with lower SES had significantly higher rates of BMI compared with those which SES was higher. Key words: adolescents, socioeconomic status, nutritional anthropometry, obesity