Perceived Body Weight Status Research Articles

A Population-Based Study on Agreement between Actual and Perceived Body Image

Background: Obesity tends to appear in modern societies and constitutes a significant public health problem with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.
 Objective: This study aims to determine the agreement between actual and perceived body image in the general population.
 Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was conducted with a sample size of 300. The data were collected from eight major populated areas of Northern district of Karachi Sindh with a period of six months (10th January 2020 to 21st June 2020). The Figure rating questionnaire scale (FRS) was applied to collect the demographic data and perception about body weight. Body mass index (BMI) used for assessing the actual body weight status. Cohen's Kappa statistics were performed.
 Results: Out of 300 participants, n=143 were males, and n=157 were females. In reality, according to BMI, 6 % were underweight, 47 % were average, 28 % were overweight, and 19 % were obese. According to perception, 8% of participants were underweight, 39 % were average, about 45% were overweight, and 8 % were obese. The mean score of real BMI was 25. 51±5.62 and figure rating score was 4.81±1.75. r value showed a strong positive relationship between both variables with a a P-value of <0.001. Cohen's Kappa score was 0.362. The rate of agreement between actual and perceived body weight status in the general population was 53.88%, and the disagreement rate was 46.12%
 Conclusion: There was a weak agreement in the perception and realities of the self-image of people have the wrong impression about their body image.

Measured and Perceived Body Weight Status of Women in the Peruvian Amazon.

Background and objectives: The prevalence of obesity among adults has reached epidemic proportions in Latin America, placing large demands on health care systems. Research suggests cultural differences in body weight perceptions may be a barrier during the implementation of weight-loss strategies. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of weight misperception in Peruvian women and evaluate contributing factors. Materials and Methods: A total of 236 women were recruited in San Martín, northern Peru. Participants’ socio-demographic characteristics and attitudes towards their weight and health were collected. Self-perception of weight status was assessed with a 10-point scale and compared with measured body mass index (BMI). Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with underestimation of weight status. Results: A total of 65.2% of women were classified as overweight/obese by BMI, but only 15.2% perceived themselves so. A total of 70.4% of women underestimated their weight status and no incidence of overestimation was reported. Overweight and obese women were more likely to underestimate their weight status than normal weight women (OR (Odds Ratio): 34.24, 95% CI (Confidence Interval): 11.55–101.45; OR: 42.06, 95% CI: 11.17–158.32, respectively). Women who underestimated weight status felt more comfortable with their weight (59.3% vs. 20.6, p < 0.001) and agreed a large stomach is a sign of good health (40.7% vs. 5.9%, p < 0.001) versus those who correctly estimated. Conclusions: Underestimation of weigh status was highly prevalent and associated with unhealthy beliefs. Future public health programs must be culturally sensitive and tailored to specific groups within the population.

Adolescent Weight and Electronic Vapor Product Use: Comparing BMI-Based With Perceived Weight Status

This study examined the associations of BMI-based and perceived body weight status with electronic vapor product use, cigarette smoking, and dual use among U.S. adolescents. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted in 2017 on data from 15,129 adolescents in the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2015. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to examine the associations of BMI-based and perceived weight status with electronic vapor product use, cigarette smoking, and dual use, after adjusting for all other covariates. The regression models were stratified by gender. Overall, 25.5% of males used electronic vapor products, 11.6% smoked cigarettes, and 8.1% used both; percentages among females were 22.6%, 9.8%, and 6.8%, respectively. Females who perceived themselves as overweight were more likely than those who perceived themselves as normal weight to be current electronic vapor product users (AOR=1.09, 95% CI=1.01, 1.19) and dual users (AOR=1.23, 95% CI=1.01, 1.49). When compared with normal BMI-based category, males with obese BMI status were more likely to be current cigarette smokers (AOR=1.61, 95% CI=1.06, 2.44), however, only females with overweight BMI status were more likely to be current smokers (AOR=1.89, 95% CI=1.25, 2.86). Findings suggest that the influence of adolescents' body weight perceptions and BMI-based status should be accounted for when developing nicotine-containing product use prevention programs for adolescents. Specific strategies for influencing female adolescents who perceive themselves as overweight should be included to prevent emerging electronic vapor product and dual use.

Prevalence and contributing factors of malnutrition among children aged 6 to 24 months attending well-baby clinic at Mbagathi District Hospital, Nairobi. Self perceived body weight status among healthcare workers in Kisumu, Kenya.

Despite the generally observed declining levels of malnutrition globally, it remains a challenge in developing countries of Sub-Sahara Africa where estimated 45% of children below five years are stunted. In Kenya, levels of stunting have declined from 35% in 2009 to 26% in 2014 (GOK, 2014).This follows the implementation of multiple initiatives by the Kenya Government as envisaged in the Vison 2030, embedded in the Kenya constitution 2010 and spelled out in the National Nutrition Action Plan 2012-2017 adapted to scale up high impact nutrition initiatives and provides a framework for operationalization of feasible and cost effective interventions to curb malnutrition in children below five years. However, there still exist large disparity on the prevalence of malnutrition with less developed counties and most populace areas still positing high prevalence rates. Previous studies have shown increased rates of malnutrition in the informal settlements. Nairobi where the study is focused has over 60% of the population residing in the informal settlements with limited resources. Mbagathi Hospital draws most of the clientele from the neighboring informal settlement of Kibera, Dagoretti and Embakasi and therefore an ideal place to undertake the study to assess the prevalence of malnutrition, identify associated factors with an aim of expanding the understanding and recommend potential interventions. A total of 300 mother/guardian and child pairs were enrolled in the study. Height and weight measurements were taken for every child and socio-demographic data obtained from mothers/guardians using interviewer administered semi-structured questionnaires. Anthropometric data was analyzed using WHO Anthro2006 software and socio-demographic data using Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) version.20. The prevalence of wasting (WHZ &lt;-2SD) was 15.3%, underweight (WAZ &lt;-2SD) was 22.0% and stunting (HAZ &lt;-2SD) was 14.3%. Prevalence of underweight was significantly higher among boys (28.1%) than girls (15.6%) (χ2 8.056, p=0.018). Low birth weight, child illness two weeks to study and mothers’ perception of child health status were significant predictors of malnutrition (p=&lt;0.05). In addition, poor maternal education and family income ≤Ksh. 20,000 were strongly associated with high rates of malnutrition (p&lt;0.000). Emphasis on maternal education and nutritional interventions targeting children attending Well- Baby Clinics would have significant impact on malnutrition among the study population.

Self-Perceived Body Weight Status among Healthcare Workers in Kisumu East Subcounty, Kenya

Overweight and obesity is one of the most serious public health problems of the 21st century. Its prevalence is increasing at an alarming rate in both developed and developing countries. The role of perceived body weight status regardless of measured Body Mass Index has drawn considerable research attention as it is associated with weight loss behavior. However, the role of perceived body weight status within the Kenyan context is poorly understood. This was a cross sectional study conducted between April and August 2014 involving 165 respondents sampled from nine health facilities. Demographic, socio-economic and lifestyle data was collected using questionnaires and anthropometric measurements were taken using electronic weighing scale and height measuring bar. Majority of respondents, (52%) had a misperception of their body weight status, among these 49% and 4 % underestimated and overestimated their weight, respectively. A statistically significant poor agreement between perceived and measured weight was observed across all respondents (kappa = 0.23, p = &lt; 0.001). Perceived weight status was significantly associated with gender χ2 = 0.034 p = 0.03, age χ2 = 21.48 p = &lt;0.001 and Body Mass Index χ2 = 66.7 p = &lt;0.001. This study found high rate of underestimation and a low one of overestimation of body weight status among Kenyan healthcare workers. Socio-demographic factors associated with underestimation included gender and age. There is need to put in place interventions to sensitize healthcare workers on the importance of having correct body weight perception as a first step towards behaviour change for weight loss and lifestyle change.

Agreement Between Actual and Perceived Body Weight in Adolescents and Their Weight Control Behaviors.

BackgroundTo investigate the agreements between actual and perceived body weight status among adolescents and to identify the associations of disagreements with their weight control behaviors.MethodsThis study used the secondary data of a sample survey (n=13,871) of the Seoul Student Health Examination among middle and high schools in 2010. Agreements between actual (underweight, normal, overweight, and obese, according to 2007 Korean National Growth Charts) and perceived body weight status (underweight, normal, overweight, and obese) were examined using Chi-square and Cohen’s kappa agreement, and then multinomial logistic regression including gender, grade, and attempt of weight control or method of weight control was done.ResultsAgreements between actual and perceived body weight status were only 45.2%, and disagreements were up to 54.8%, including mild over- (20.4%), severe over- (1.8%), mild under- (29.5%), and severe under-estimation (3.1%). The kappa coefficient of agreement was only 0.19. The odds ratios on severe over-estimated perception were 1.59 (95% CI, 1.22–2.07) in female subjects, 1.78 (95% CI, 1.36–2.34) in diet control behaviors, and 1.53 (95% CI, 1.18–2.00) in exercise. The odds ratios on severe under-estimated perception were only 0.40 (95% CI, 0.32–0.50) in female subjects but 5.77 (95% CI, 3.68–9.06) in taking medication.ConclusionThere were associations of body weight control behaviors with disagreements of actual and perceived weight status. Therefore, further study is needed to identify the weight disagreement-related factors and to promote the desired weight control behaviors for adolescents.

Parental Correlates of Body Weight Status Among High School Students in Tehran.

This study aimed to determine the parental correlates of body weight status among adolescents in Tehran. The participants were 465 high school students and their parents who resided in Tehran. Body weight and height of the students were measured, and body mass index (BMI)-for-age and body weight status of the students were determined according to the world health organization growth reference (2007). Parents of the students completed a self-administered questionnaire including socio-demographic information, self-reported parental body weight and height, and parental perception of student’s body weight status. About half of the parents had an incorrect perception about body weight status of their children with higher rates of underestimation than overestimation. The percentage of parents who correctly perceived body weight status of the students decreased from 100.0% in severe thinness group to 14.0% in obese group. There were no significant associations between marital status, occupation, and education of parents and BMI-for-age of the students. While, both BMI of mother and BMI of father were significantly associated with students’ BMI-for-age (r = 0.29 and r = 0.27, respectively; P < 0.05). A great number of parents had incorrect perception regarding body weight status of their offspring; this was true specifically for parents of overweight and obese students. Both parental BMI and parental perception regarding students’ body weight status were associated with students’ BMI-for-age, indicating the need for parental involvement in weight management programs targeting adolescents.

Self-perception of body weight status and weight control practices among adolescents in Malaysia.

The prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents is rising rapidly in many countries, including Malaysia. This article aims to present the associations between body mass index-based body weight status, body weight perception, and weight control practices among adolescents in Malaysia. The Malaysia School Based Nutrition Survey 2012, which included a body weight perception questionnaire and anthropometric measurements, was conducted on a representative sample of 40 011 students from Standard 4 until Form 5, with a 90.5% response rate. Comparing actual and perceived body weight status, the findings show that 13.8% of adolescents underestimated their weight, 35.0% overestimated, and 51.2% correctly judged their own weight. Significantly more normal weight girls felt they were overweight, whereas significantly more overweight boys perceived themselves as underweight. The overall appropriateness of weight control practices to body weight was 72.6%. Adolescents attempting to lose or gain weight need to have better understanding toward desirable behavioral changes.

Associations between body mass index, weight control concerns and behaviors, and eating disorder symptoms among non-clinical Chinese adolescents

BackgroundPrevious research with adolescents has shown associations of body weight, weight control concerns and behaviors with eating disorder symptoms, but it is unclear whether these associations are direct or whether a mediating effect exists. This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of overweight and obesity, weight control concerns and behaviors, and eating disorder symptoms and to examine the mediating function of weight control concerns and behaviors on the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and eating disorder symptoms among non-clinical adolescents in China.MethodsA cross-sectional survey among 2019 adolescent girls and 1525 adolescent boys in the 7th, 8th, 10th and 11th grades from seven cities in China was conducted. Information on weight control concerns and behaviors, and eating disorder symptoms (Eating Disorder Inventory-3) were collected from the adolescents using a self-administrated questionnaire.ResultsWeight control concerns and behaviors, and eating disorder symptoms were prevalent among the study population. A high proportion of adolescents scored at or above the threshold on the eating disorder inventory (EDI) subscale such as bulimia, interoceptive deficits, perfectionism, and maturity fears, which indicated eating disorder symptoms. High BMI was significantly associated with high score of drive for thinness, body dissatisfaction, bulimia, low self-esteem, interceptive deficits and maturity fears, so do perceived body weight status. Almost all weight control concerns and behaviors we investigated were significantly associated with high EDI subscale scores. When weight control concerns were added to the model, as shown in the model, the association between BMI and tendency of drive to thinness and bulimia was attenuated but still kept significant. The association between BMI and body dissatisfaction were no further significant. The association of BMI and drive for thinness, body dissatisfaction and bulimia was considerably weaker than when weight control behaviors were not included.ConclusionsWeight control concerns and behaviors may be mediators of the association between BMI and eating disorder symptoms. Interpretation of these weight control problems is crucial to develop culturally appropriate educational and intervention programs for adolescents.

Misperceived pre-pregnancy body weight status predicts excessive gestational weight gain: findings from a US cohort study

BackgroundExcessive gestational weight gain promotes poor maternal and child health outcomes. Weight misperception is associated with weight gain in non-pregnant women, but no data exist during pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of misperceived pre-pregnancy body weight status with excessive gestational weight gain.MethodsAt study enrollment, participants in Project Viva reported weight, height, and perceived body weight status by questionnaire. Our study sample comprised 1537 women who had either normal or overweight/obese pre-pregnancy BMI. We created 2 categories of pre-pregnancy body weight status misperception: normal weight women who identified themselves as overweight ('overassessors') and overweight/obese women who identified themselves as average or underweight ('underassessors'). Women who correctly perceived their body weight status were classified as either normal weight or overweight/obese accurate assessors. We performed multivariable logistic regression to determine the odds of excessive gestational weight gain according to 1990 Institute of Medicine guidelines.ResultsOf the 1029 women with normal pre-pregnancy BMI, 898 (87%) accurately perceived and 131 (13%) overassessed their weight status. 508 women were overweight/obese, of whom 438 (86%) accurately perceived and 70 (14%) underassessed their pre-pregnancy weight status. By the end of pregnancy, 823 women (54%) gained excessively. Compared with normal weight accurate assessors, the adjusted odds of excessive gestational weight gain was 2.0 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3, 3.0) in normal weight overassessors, 2.9 (95% CI: 2.2, 3.9) in overweight/obese accurate assessors, and 7.6 (95% CI: 3.4, 17.0) in overweight/obese underassessors.ConclusionMisperceived pre-pregnancy body weight status was associated with excessive gestational weight gain among both normal weight and overweight/obese women, with the greatest likelihood of excessive gain among overweight/obese underassessors. Future interventions should test the potential benefits of correcting misperception to reduce the likelihood of excessive gestational weight gain.

The Evaluation of a Mass Media Campaign Aimed at Weight Gain Prevention Among Young Dutch Adults**

The objective was to evaluate a 3-year nationwide mass media campaign aimed at preventing weight gain. The campaign was aimed primarily at raising awareness of the importance of weight-gain prevention and bringing these issues to the attention of the Dutch public. Eleven serial, independent, cross-sectional, population-based telephone surveys were used to assess campaign awareness and impact (N ranged between 483 and 493 for each of the 11 surveys). The surveys were conducted before and after six campaign waves. Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses were used to test for trends over time and for differences among the surveys for campaign awareness, message recall, perceived body weight status, overweight-related risk perceptions, attitudes, perceived social support, self-efficacy expectations, and motivations for preventing weight gain. Campaign awareness ranged from 61% after the 1st campaign wave to 88.4% after the final wave. The campaign's television broadcasting activities were an important source of campaign awareness, from both the campaign's television commercials and television-based free publicity. Message recall ranged from 41.9% to 68.1%. Small positive differences were found in attitudes, perceived social support, and intentions for preventing weight gain. Additionally, the results suggest mixed effects on self-efficacy expectations and a negative effect on risk perception. The campaign resulted in high campaign awareness, especially as a result of television commercials and free publicity on television. The results suggest that the campaign was able to create more positive attitudes and motivation but lower risk perceptions and efficacy for preventing weight gain.