Keyword: Obesity
2 results found.
Original Article
Epidemiology and Health Data Insights, 2(5), 2026, ehdi050, https://doi.org/10.63946/ehdi/18958
ABSTRACT:
Background: Obesity is increasingly understood as a health outcome shaped by social conditions, yet evidence on socioeconomic inequalities in obesity in South Korea remains mixed, particularly with regard to lifestyle behaviours and sex differences.
Methods: This study uses pooled data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2022–2024 (N=11,714 adults aged 19–64 years). Obesity was defined as body mass index ≥25 kg/m². Socioeconomic status (SES) was assessed using education, income, occupation, and a composite SES index. Lifestyle factors, including physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, sleep duration, and working hours, were included in sequential regression models to assess whether associations between socioeconomic status and obesity were attenuated after adjustment for these factors. Survey-weighted logistic regression models were estimated, with additional analyses stratified by sex.
Results: Lower socioeconomic status was associated with a higher likelihood of obesity, although the strength and pattern of this relationship differed between men and women. Among women, clear inverse gradients were observed across education, income, and the composite SES index. Among men, associations were weaker and less consistent. Adjustment for lifestyle factors attenuated several socioeconomic associations with obesity, although socioeconomic differences remained evident, particularly among women. The composite SES index showed more consistent associations than individual socioeconomic indicators.
Conclusion: Socioeconomic inequalities in obesity persist in South Korea and differ substantially by sex. Associations between socioeconomic status and obesity were attenuated after adjustment for lifestyle factors, although socioeconomic differences remained evident after adjustment. These findings highlight the importance of considering both behavioural and broader structural factors when addressing obesity inequalities.
Methods: This study uses pooled data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2022–2024 (N=11,714 adults aged 19–64 years). Obesity was defined as body mass index ≥25 kg/m². Socioeconomic status (SES) was assessed using education, income, occupation, and a composite SES index. Lifestyle factors, including physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, sleep duration, and working hours, were included in sequential regression models to assess whether associations between socioeconomic status and obesity were attenuated after adjustment for these factors. Survey-weighted logistic regression models were estimated, with additional analyses stratified by sex.
Results: Lower socioeconomic status was associated with a higher likelihood of obesity, although the strength and pattern of this relationship differed between men and women. Among women, clear inverse gradients were observed across education, income, and the composite SES index. Among men, associations were weaker and less consistent. Adjustment for lifestyle factors attenuated several socioeconomic associations with obesity, although socioeconomic differences remained evident, particularly among women. The composite SES index showed more consistent associations than individual socioeconomic indicators.
Conclusion: Socioeconomic inequalities in obesity persist in South Korea and differ substantially by sex. Associations between socioeconomic status and obesity were attenuated after adjustment for lifestyle factors, although socioeconomic differences remained evident after adjustment. These findings highlight the importance of considering both behavioural and broader structural factors when addressing obesity inequalities.
Review Article
Epidemiology and Health Data Insights, 2(3), 2026, ehdi035, https://doi.org/10.63946/ehdi/18334
ABSTRACT:
Obesity is a chronic condition driven in part by disrupted appetite control and changes in gastrointestinal function, both of which contribute to excessive energy intake and progressive weight gain. Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, has been shown to produce meaningful weight loss in non-diabetic adults. Despite its growing clinical use, the physiological processes through which semaglutide influences appetite and gastric emptying have not been clearly brought together. This systematic review explored how semaglutide affects appetite regulation and gastric emptying, and how these effects relate to weight reduction.
A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Google Scholar, and Dimensions for studies published between 2021 and 2026, in line with PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Study screening, data extraction, and risk-of-bias assessment were carried out using Covidence by two independent reviewers, with a third reviewer resolving any disagreements. Four studies met the inclusion criteria, consisting of randomized controlled trials and one retrospective cohort study.
Across randomized trials, semaglutide was consistently associated with greater improvements in appetite-related outcomes compared with placebo, including reductions in hunger scores and overall energy intake. Studies that assessed gastric physiology reported a notable delay in gastric emptying with semaglutide, particularly during the early stages of treatment. These physiological changes occurred alongside greater weight loss in semaglutide-treated participants compared with control groups. Longer-term findings suggested that appetite suppression was maintained over time and accompanied by clinically meaningful weight reduction, while observational data supported the effectiveness of semaglutide in routine clinical practice.
Overall, the findings suggest that the weight-reducing effects of semaglutide in non-diabetic adults with obesity are closely tied to its ability to suppress appetite and slow gastric emptying. These mechanisms appear to play a central role in its therapeutic benefits and help explain the sustained weight loss observed with treatment.
A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Google Scholar, and Dimensions for studies published between 2021 and 2026, in line with PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Study screening, data extraction, and risk-of-bias assessment were carried out using Covidence by two independent reviewers, with a third reviewer resolving any disagreements. Four studies met the inclusion criteria, consisting of randomized controlled trials and one retrospective cohort study.
Across randomized trials, semaglutide was consistently associated with greater improvements in appetite-related outcomes compared with placebo, including reductions in hunger scores and overall energy intake. Studies that assessed gastric physiology reported a notable delay in gastric emptying with semaglutide, particularly during the early stages of treatment. These physiological changes occurred alongside greater weight loss in semaglutide-treated participants compared with control groups. Longer-term findings suggested that appetite suppression was maintained over time and accompanied by clinically meaningful weight reduction, while observational data supported the effectiveness of semaglutide in routine clinical practice.
Overall, the findings suggest that the weight-reducing effects of semaglutide in non-diabetic adults with obesity are closely tied to its ability to suppress appetite and slow gastric emptying. These mechanisms appear to play a central role in its therapeutic benefits and help explain the sustained weight loss observed with treatment.