Dataset Information

Body size perception and weight control in youth: 9-year international trends from 24 countries.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVES:To examine 9-year trends and relationships regarding misperceptions of body size and dieting for weight loss among adolescents from 24 countries, and explore the influence of country-level overweight prevalence. METHODS:Sociodemographic characteristics, body size perception and dieting for weight loss were assessed in the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey conducted in 24 countries cross-sectionally at three time points (2001/2002, 2005/2006 and 2009/2010). Logistic regression models examined change over time in overestimation of body size in non-overweight adolescents, underestimation of body size in overweight adolescents, dieting for weight loss in non-overweight and overweight adolescents and relationships between body size perception and dieting. Analyses were stratified by weight status and sex. Covariates included country-level overweight prevalence, family affluence and country level of development. Body mass index was only included in models examining dieting for weight loss. RESULTS:Country-level overweight prevalence increased over time (11.6-14.7%). Compared with Time 1, overweight adolescents had greater odds of body size underestimation at Time 3 (odds ratio (OR)=1.68 for girls; OR=1.10 for boys), whereas non-overweight adolescents had lower odds of body size overestimation at Time 3 (OR=0.87 for girls; OR=0.89 for boys). Controlling for country-level overweight prevalence attenuated these relationships. Compared with Time 1, overweight and non-overweight boys were 10% more likely to diet at Time 3, whereas overweight and non-overweight girls were 19% and 16%, respectively, less likely to diet at Time 3. Controlling for country-level overweight prevalence did not impact trends in dieting for weight loss. Additionally, the association of self-perceived overweight with increased odds of dieting diminished over time. CONCLUSIONS:Body size perceptions among adolescents may have changed over time concurrent with shifts in country-level body weight. However, controlling for country-level overweight prevalence did not impact trends in dieting for weight loss, suggesting a potentially stronger impact of social comparison on weight-related perceptions than on behavior.

SUBMITTER: Quick V

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4090285 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Body size perception and weight control in youth: 9-year international trends from 24 countries.

Quick V V Nansel T R TR Liu D D Lipsky L M LM Due P P Iannotti R J RJ

International journal of obesity (2005) 20140411 7

<h4>Objectives</h4>To examine 9-year trends and relationships regarding misperceptions of body size and dieting for weight loss among adolescents from 24 countries, and explore the influence of country-level overweight prevalence.<h4>Methods</h4>Sociodemographic characteristics, body size perception and dieting for weight loss were assessed in the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey conducted in 24 countries cross-sectionally at three time points (2001/2002, 2005/2006 and 2009/2010). ...[more]

PMID: 24722544

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Project description:The social valorisation of overweight in African populations could promote high-risk eating behaviours and therefore become a risk factor of obesity. However, existing scales to assess body image are usually not accurate enough to allow comparative studies of body weight perception in different African populations. This study aimed to develop and validate the Body Size Scale (BSS) to estimate African body weight perception.Anthropometric measures of 80 Cameroonians and 81 Senegalese were used to evaluate three criteria of adiposity: body mass index (BMI), overall percentage of fat, and endomorphy (fat component of the somatotype). To develop the BSS, the participants were photographed in full face and profile positions. Models were selected for their representativeness of the wide variability in adiposity with a progressive increase along the scale. Then, for the validation protocol, participants self-administered the BSS to assess self-perceived current body size (CBS), desired body size (DBS) and provide a "body self-satisfaction index." This protocol included construct validity, test-retest reliability and convergent validity and was carried out with three independent samples of respectively 201, 103 and 1115 Cameroonians.The BSS comprises two sex-specific scales of photos of 9 models each, and ordered by increasing adiposity. Most participants were able to correctly order the BSS by increasing adiposity, using three different words to define body size. Test-retest reliability was consistent in estimating CBS, DBS and the "body self-satisfaction index." The CBS was highly correlated to the objective BMI, and two different indexes assessed with the BSS were consistent with declarations obtained in interviews.The BSS is the first scale with photos of real African models taken in both full face and profile and representing a wide and representative variability in adiposity. The validation protocol proved its reliability for estimating body weight perception in Africans.

Project description:BackgroundMaternal perception of child weight status in children with overweight or obesity has received a lot of attention but data on paternal perception of children from presumably healthy cohorts are lacking.ObjectiveWe aimed to investigate paternal and maternal perception of child weight status at the age of 8 years in a cohort of 591 children from 5 European countries.Material and methodsIncluded were 8-year-old children and their parents participating in the European Childhood Obesity Project (EU CHOP). Weight and height of children and parents were measured and Body Mass Index (BMI, kg/m2) was calculated. Both parents were asked to assess their perception of child weight status using Eckstein scales and their concern about child overweight. The agreement between mother and father perceptions was assessed by Cohen kappa coefficient and their relationship was analyzed by linear mixed effects models based on ordinal logistic regression, accounting for country, child gender and BMI, parental BMI, level of education, concern and type of feeding during first year of life.ResultsData from children and both parents were available for 432 girls and boys. Mean BMI was comparable in boys and girls (16.7 ± 2.31 vs. 16.9 ± 2.87 kg/m2, P = 0.55). In total, 172 children (29.3%) were overweight or obese. There was a high degree of agreement between mother and father perceptions of their child's weight status (Cohen kappa 0.77). Multivariate modelling showed that perception levels significantly increased with child BMI but were globally lower than assessed. They differed between countries, gender and types of feeding during first year of life, were influenced by education level of the father but were not related to parental BMI and concern about childhood overweight.ConclusionsThe study showed no overall differences between mothers and fathers in rating their child's weight status but both parents had a propensity to underestimate their child's actual weight, particularly in boys. The EU CHOP trial registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00338689.

Project description:IntroductionBody size underestimation in patients with obesity may be associated with long-term weight increase. In the current report, we analyse changes in body size perception in patients with obesity undergoing either bariatric surgery or usual obesity care, and in subgroups of patients who gain weight or maintain their body weight over 10 years.Materials and methodsA total of 2,504 patients with obesity from the prospective, controlled Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS) intervention study were included in this report, 1,370 patients underwent bariatric surgery and 1,134 patients were usual care controls. Weight was measured and body size was self-estimated using the Stunkard's figure rating scale at baseline and after 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10 years of follow-up. A body perception index (BPI) was calculated as estimated/measured BMI. Weight (re)gain was defined as ≥10% increase between 1 and 10 years of follow-up.ResultsBody size was underestimated by 12% in the surgery and 14% in the control group (i.e., >5 BMI units) at baseline and underestimation largely persisted over 10 years in both intervention groups. When stratified by long-term weight development, weight regainers from the surgery group underestimated their body size to a larger degree compared to weight maintainers (12 vs. 9%, p < 0.001) after 10 years. Likewise weight gainers in the control group also underestimated their body size to a larger degree (17% vs. 13%, p < 0.001). In both groups, the change in BPI was significantly different between weight regainers and maintainers during follow-up (time-BPI interactions both p < 0.001).ConclusionPatients with obesity underestimate their body size and this underestimation remains long-term even after major weight loss induced by bariatric surgery. In patients with obesity who maintain their weight, regardless of treatment, underestimation of body size persists but body size perception is slightly more accurate compared to patients who gain or regain weight long-term.

Project description:ObjectiveOverweight and obese women may avoid contraceptive methods they believe are associated with weight gain. The objective of this study was to examine the role of weight and weight perception on contraceptive use.Study designUsing cross-sectional data from the MyNewOptions study, we analyzed contraceptive use among 987 privately insured, sexually active women aged 18-40 years. Contraception was categorized into three groups: (1) long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs), (2) non-LARC prescription methods and (3) nonprescription methods/no method. Multinomial logistic regression was used to model the effect of body mass index category and weight perception on contraceptive use while controlling for pregnancy intentions, sexual behavior and sociodemographic characteristics.ResultsEighty-three (8.4%) women were using LARCs, 490 (49.6%) women were using non-LARC prescription methods and 414 (42.0%) were using nonprescription methods or no method. In the adjusted multinomial model, overweight [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 3.84, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.85-7.98) and obese women (aOR 2.82, 95% CI 1.18-6.72) were significantly more likely to use LARCs compared to normal-weight women. There were greater adjusted odds of overweight and obese women using nonprescription methods/no method compared with non-LARC prescription methods, but this finding did not reach statistical significance. Weight perception was not associated with contraceptive use.ConclusionIn this study sample, overweight and obese women were more likely to use LARCs than normal-weight women. It will be important to further understand how weight influences women and providers' views on contraception in order to better assist women with individualized, patient-centered contraceptive decision making.ImplicationsOverweight and obese women may be reluctant to use contraceptive methods they believe are associated with weight gain (i.e., pills, shot), but how that affects contraceptive use is unclear. Compared with normal-weight women, overweight and obese women in this study were more likely to use LARCs than non-LARC prescription methods.

Dataset Information

Body size perception and weight control in youth: 9-year international trends from 24 countries.

Publications

Body size perception and weight control in youth: 9-year international trends from 24 countries.

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