Intersectional inequality in general and central obesity: cross-sectional UK Biobank study
Authors' conclusion
A large proportion of variation in general and central obesity is due to intersectional inequality, with up to 26.5% being interactive. It is important that these intersectional effects are considered when designing policy interventions to avoid policy failure, such as by focussing on groups with high total and interactive risk.
Study context
- Population
- UK Biobank participants grouped into 320 intersectional strata by household income, neighbourhood deprivation, sex, ethnicity and age
- Participants
- 452,339 participants
- Outcome
- Total, additive and interactive inequality of BMI, fat mass index (FMI) and waist to height ratio (WHtR), and associated obesity classifications
Methodological detailsintersectional MAIHDA (linear and logistic multilevel analysis), 320 intersectional strata
- Intersectional MAIHDA (linear and logistic multilevel analysis)
- 320 intersectional strata
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Share of total variation due to between-strata inequality
- Body mass index (BMI): variation due to between-strata inequality
- 6.5%
- Fat mass index (FMI): variation due to between-strata inequality
- 25.2%
- Waist to height ratio (WHtR): variation due to between-strata inequality
- 9.1%
- BMI: interactive share of between-strata inequality
- 26.5%
- FMI: interactive share of between-strata inequality
- 3.5%
- WHtR: interactive share of between-strata inequality
- 22.0%
- BMI: strata with significant interactive effect
- 79
- FMI: strata with significant interactive effect
- 58
- WHtR: strata with significant interactive effect
- 93
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Original publication
Intersectional inequality in general and central obesity: cross-sectional UK Biobank study. Int J Obes (Lond). Published 5 January 2026. doi:10.
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