The Correlation Between Unemployment Rate, GDP Per Capita, and Adult Obesity Prevalence in Developed Economies. Evidence from OECD Member Countries.

The Correlation Between Unemployment Rate, GDP Per Capita, and Adult Obesity Prevalence in Developed Economies. Evidence from OECD Member Countries. by Uche Noel O’Martins MPH, University of Leeds, 2010 B.Sc (Hons), Nnamdi Azikiwe University, 2002 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Public Health Walden University February 2020 Abstract Adult obesity continues to be endemic in developed countries; at least 1 in every 5 people in developed economies is obese. In line with the theory of social suffering, socioeconomic factors may be correlated with the increasing prevalence of adult obesity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between socioeconomic factors and adult obesity prevalence rate in developed countries using Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries as a case study. In this study, the correlation between 2 independent variables unemployment rate and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita and the dependent variable adult obesity prevalence rate were investigated. The variables were retrieved from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) website and tested for association. The type, strength, and significance of the association between the variables were all utilized to draw inferences. The findings of this study reveal that a positive correlation exists between unemployment rate and adult obesity prevalence rate, albeit weak and statistically nonsignificant and that a negative correlation exists between GDP per capita and adult obesity prevalence rate, albeit weak and statistically nonsignificant. This means that a lower unemployment rate,Adult obesity continues to be endemic in developed countries; at least 1 in every 5 people in developed economies is obese. In line with the theory of social suffering, socioeconomic factors may be correlated with the increasing prevalence of adult obesity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between socioeconomic factors and adult obesity prevalence rate in developed countries using Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries as a case study. In this study, the correlation between 2 independent variables unemployment rate and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita and the dependent variable adult obesity prevalence rate were investigated. The variables were retrieved from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) website and tested for association. The type, strength, and significance of the association between the variables were all utilized to draw inferences. The findings of this study reveal that a positive correlation exists between unemployment rate and adult obesity prevalence rate, albeit weak and statistically nonsignificant and that a negative correlation exists between GDP per capita and adult obesity prevalence rate, albeit weak and statistically nonsignificant. This means that a lower unemployment rate, improved GDP per capita and, by extension, a better economy and less suffering in the society can, to an extent, assist in the reduction of the adult obesity prevalence rate in developed countries. The extent to which these factors can assist largely depends on how minimal the significant risk factors of adult obesity are in the population. In other words, while improved economy can act as leverage in the reduction of the adult obesity prevalence rate in developed economies, focus should be on modifying the significant risk factors of adult obesity, such as eating habit and a physical lifestyle. The Correlation Between Unemployment Rate, GDP Per Capita and Adult Obesity Prevalence in Developed Economies. Evidence from OECD Member Countries. by Uche Noel O’Martins MPH, University of Leeds, 2010 B.Sc (Hons), Nnamdi Azikiwe University, 2002 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Public Health Walden University February 2020 Dedication I dedicate this academic piece of work to Almighty God who made Heaven and Earth for making this academic journey a possibility. I also dedicate this academic piece of work to my family: my lovely kids, Uche Jnr and Olivia Adaeze, and their Mom, Juliet O’Martins, for their emotional support throughout this academic journey. Lastly, I dedicate this academic piece of work to my parents, Sir and Mrs Chile and Anne O’Martins for laying a strong foundation for my academic pursuits. Acknowledgements My heartfelt gratitude goes to my committee – my Chair, Dr. Patrick Tschida; my committee member, Dr. Gwendolyn Francavillo; and my URR, Dr. Stacy Ann-Christian – for their untiring efforts and support to ensure that this doctoral study is of topmost quality. I could not have asked for a better team. I say a big thank you to the trio. I am also thankful to the Program Director, Dr. Nancy Rea, and the Research Director, Dr. Tammy Root, for being there when I needed their attention. My acknowledgement also goes to my academic advisor, Jennifer Rothamel, for giving me a listening ear when I needed one. My gratitude also goes to Daniel Fleischhaker and his colleagues in the Walden University Writing Center for painstakingly taking the time to edit this doctoral thesis to meet APA style requirements. I also acknowledge the Central Intelligence Agency, an agency reputable for intelligence reporting, for making available reliable data on their website, which I retrieved and analyzed in this study.