Abstract
BackgroundOverweight and obesity is an emerging health problem, particularly amongst urban Black women living in areas of high HIV prevalence. Understanding factors affecting this pandemic is essential to enable effective weight loss programmes to be implemented. This study explored urban Black women's perception of their body image against a backdrop of pre-existing non-communicable diseases (NCDs).MethodIn this cross-sectional exploratory study 328 urban Black women were sampled systematically. Anthropometric measurements were conducted and women were interviewed using the Stunkard body image silhouettes as a tool to determine perception.ResultsMost of the subjects (61%) were in the 40–59 years age group. Mean body mass index (BMI) was 37 (± 9.41 kg/m2) with over 90% being overweight or obese. Diabetes mellitus was the most common NCD, with a prevalence of 72%. Amongst the diabetic patients 7% were overweight and 64% obese. Perceived body image compared to derived BMI showed that women underestimated their body image across all weight categories. Over 40% indicated a normal to overweight preferred body image, with 99% of respondents associating the underweight silhouettes with disease and HIV infection.ConclusionUrban Black women with underlying NCDs and living in an area of high HIV prevalence perceive themselves to be thinner than their actual BMI, which may be a barrier to weight loss management. This misperception may be used as a proxy risk marker for weight gain in urban Black women.
Highlights
The World Health Organisation (WHO) labels obesity as one of the most noticeable and yet most unheeded public health problems that threatens to devastate both developed and emerging http://www.phcfm.org doi:10.4102/phcfm.v5i1.450countries.[1,2] Obesity has attained rampant proportions globally, with over one billion adults classified as overweight with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m2, whilst at least 300 million are clinically obese with a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2
Bays et al.[19] have shown that misperception of body image may have preceded non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which may be a barrier to weight loss management
This study provides insight into the intricacies associated with weight loss strategies in vulnerable urban Black women with underlying NCDs who live in an area of high HIV prevalence
Summary
The World Health Organisation (WHO) labels obesity as one of the most noticeable and yet most unheeded public health problems that threatens to devastate both developed and emerging http://www.phcfm.org doi:10.4102/phcfm.v5i1.450countries.[1,2] Obesity has attained rampant proportions globally, with over one billion adults classified as overweight with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m2, whilst at least 300 million are clinically obese with a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2. Excessive weight has become a major contributor to the global burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and debility, and is listed by the WHO as one of the 10 leading risk factors in developed countries which contribute to their national burden of disease. Overweight and obesity is an emerging health problem, amongst urban Black women living in areas of high HIV prevalence. Understanding factors affecting this pandemic is essential to enable effective weight loss programmes to be implemented. This study explored urban Black women’s perception of their body image against a backdrop of pre-existing non-communicable diseases (NCDs)
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