Does increased household income among the poor contribute to reversal of the social gradient of obesity in Egypt? (360G-Wellcome-088536_Z_09_Z)

The global obesity epidemic is spreading rapidly in developing countries with a social distribution that varies according to level of economic development. In urban Egypt, obesity appears to have become more common among poor women compared to the rich which is the reverse of the expected social distribution of obesity at Egypt s stage of economic development. Observational data suggest that increases in income have a particularly detrimental effect on dietary quality of the poor, which could explain why economic development puts the poor at particularly high risk. This proposal aims to test the hypothesis that increased income increases obesity risk among poor women in Egypt through its effect on consumption of energy-dense foods. A multi-pronged approach will be used: cross-sectional analysis of a Cairo population survey using multivariable regression and multilevel modelling; and a community based experimental study evaluating the impact of conditional cash transfer on dieta ry intake and obesity among rural poor women. It is expected that the study will i)provide the applicant with high-quality training in research methods for the investigation of complex health problems such as obesity; ii)make significant contributions to the evidence base informing national, regional and global health-related policy; and iii)strengthen South-North research networks.