How Are Unemployed Individuals with Obesity Affected by an Economic Crisis?

Objective: The purpose of this study was to measure the extent to which the advent of an economic crisis affects the magnitude of the impact of unemployment on obesity prevalence (IUOP). Methods: Using data corresponding to a boom period and a bust period of the Spanish economy, we calculated the IUOP in the Spanish population aged 16–65 years using propensity score matching, and using the difference-in-differences approach, analyzed to what extent the advent of an economic crisis affected the magnitude of such an IUOP. Results: The results point to significant differences in the body mass index (BMI) values of Spanish unemployed individuals depending on the phase of the economic cycle. Compared to a period of economic boom, a bust period increases the (log) BMI values of unemployed people by 0.22% and the (log) BMI of long-term unemployed people by a further 0.011%. Conclusions: The design of health policies for the treatment and prevention of adult obesity should be tailored to the phase of the economic cycle and focus especially on the long-term unemployed individuals.