Types of social spending | Coefficients | 95% CI | P value | R squared | |
Lower | Upper | ||||
Girls | |||||
Total social spending* | −0.6×10−2 | −1.0×10−2 | −0.2×10−2 | 0.007 | 0.65 |
By dimension† | 0.72 | ||||
Family allowance | −0.8×10−2 | −2.0×10−2 | 0.5×10−2 | 0.20 | |
Maternal and parental leave | 1.0×10−2 | −1.5×10−2 | 3.5×10−2 | 0.42 | |
ECEC | −1.2×10−2 | −2.4×10−2 | 0.03×10−2 | 0.045 | |
Education | −1.1×10−2 | −1.9×10−2 | 0.3×10−2 | 0.01 | |
Others | 0.4×10−2 | −0.5×10−2 | 1.3×10−2 | 0.35 | |
Boys | |||||
Total social spending* | −0.7×10−2 | −1.3×10−2 | −0.03×10−2 | 0.04 | 0.55 |
By dimension† | 0.57 | ||||
Family allowance | −1.2×10−2 | −3.4×10−2 | 0.9×10−2 | 0.26 | |
Maternal and parental leave | 0.1×10−2 | −3.9×10−2 | 4.1×10−2 | 0.96 | |
ECEC | −2.1×10−2 | −4.1×10−2 | −0.01×10−2 | 0.049 | |
Education | −0.5×10−2 | −2.0×10−2 | 0.9×10−2 | 0.43 | |
Others | 0.2×10−2 | −1.3×10−2 | 1.7×10−2 | 0.79 |
For each sex, we examined the association between the changes in social spending on children (PPP-adjusted US dollars) and the prevalence of childhood obesity (%) from 2000 to 2015, by using a multivariable linear regression model that adjusted for average annual changes in employment rate and poverty rate, changes in the percentage of children aged <20 years and the ‘baseline’ prevalence of childhood obesity in 2000. We reported the coefficient. For example, our results indicated that among girls, a US$100 average annual increase in total social spending per child was associated with a 0.6 percentage points decrease in the prevalence of childhood obesity between 2000 and 2015.
*We regressed the change in the prevalence of childhood obesity on the change in total social spending on children. The analyses were conducted for 33 countries. South Korea and Luxembourg were excluded because the average annual change in unemployment rate or poverty rate cannot be calculated (data for more than 2 years are not available).
†We regressed the change in the prevalence of childhood obesity on the changes in five dimensions of social spending on children. The analyses were conducted for 31 countries. South Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico and USA were excluded because the average annual change in either dimension of social spending or the average annual change in unemployment rate or poverty rate cannot be calculated (data for more than 2 years are not available).
ECEC, early childhood education and care.