Abstract
BackgroundBody-image perception is one of the determinants in weight management, especially among adolescents. This study aimed to assess weight-control knowledge, attitude and behaviours along with body-image perceptions among Chinese high school students in order to compare the weight-control behaviours with those perceptions.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among 277 Chinese students in Form 1 and Form 2 in Pulau Pinang, Malaysia using convenience sampling. The following outcomes were evaluated: weight-control knowledge, attitude and behaviours (weight-related knowledge and attitude questionnaire; weight control strategies scale) and body-image perceptions (figure rating scale).ResultsBoth genders were found to have high weight-control knowledge, with female adolescents scoring significantly higher than male adolescents (P = 0.010). However, only half of the adolescents (50.9%) perceived that obesity is bad for health. Although only 44.4% of adolescents were dissatisfied with their current weight status, 62.8% intended to change their present weight status. Male adolescents significantly engaged more in physical activity (PA) (P = 0.035) and self-monitoring (SM) (P = 0.014) compared to their female counterparts. Furthermore, male adolescents chose their current body size as their ideal body image, but female adolescents preferred a slimmer ideal figure. The percentage of male and female adolescents who desired a smaller body figure was 39.6% and 54.5%, respectively. Lastly, there was no significant difference between weight-control behaviours and adolescents’ body-image perceptions.ConclusionFemale Chinese adolescents had higher weight-control knowledge and preferred a slimmer body size, yet males were more likely to engage in PA and SM behaviours. Essentially, imprecise attitude towards obesity among half of the Chinese high school students is of particular concern.
Highlights
The childhood obesity epidemic is worsening worldwide, including in Asian countries
While more than half of the adolescents thought that it is not necessary to exercise on a daily basis, it has been proposed that personal factors, such as hot weather, lack of an exercise partner, lack of time, lack of skill to carry out exercise, laziness and unavailability of facilities and equipment, may lead to physical inactivity among adolescents [22]
In agreement with previous results [5, 28, 30, 31] this study found that female Chinese adolescents would prefer a smaller body figure as their ideal body image
Summary
In Malaysia, the percentage of overweight and obese children as well as adolescents between ages 5 and 19 escalated from 0.3% to as high as 12.7% in 2016 [1]. This chronic health issue takes a toll on the affected children and adolescents physically but psychologically as well. According to López-Guimerà et al [2], weight-control strategies adopted by adolescents include healthy practices, such as increased consumption of vegetables and fruits, reduced intake of sugar-sweetened beverages, and increased physical activities (PAs), but some may practise unhealthy behaviours that bring more harm than good to the body, for example, dieting, skipping meals and even selfinduced vomiting diet pills [3]. This study aimed to assess weight-control knowledge, attitude and behaviours along with body-image perceptions among Chinese high school students in order to compare the weight-control behaviours with those perceptions
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