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What is the psychological impact of self-weighing? A meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT: Many people self-weigh and many interventions addressing weight-related problems such as obesity promote self-weighing. However, while self-weighing has been associated with weight loss, there is mixed evidence regarding the psychological impact of this behaviour. The present review aimed to quantify the relationship between self-weighing and: (i) affect (e.g., anxiety, depression); (ii) psychological functioning (e.g., self-esteem); (iii) body-related attitudes and (iv) disordered eating. A computerized search of scientific databases in September 2014 and subsequent ancestry and citation searches identified 29 independent tests of the relationship between self-weighing on psychological outcomes. Meta-analysis was used to quantify the size of the association across the tests. Results indicated that there was no association between self-weighing and affect, body-related attitudes or disordered eating. There was, however, a small-sized negative association between self-weighing and psychological functioning. The age of participants, obesity status, the extent of weight loss, duration of self-weighing and study design (RCT versus correlational) were found to influence at least some of the psychological outcomes of self-weighing. The findings suggest that, for the most part, self-weighing is not associated with adverse psychological outcomes. However, in some cases the association between self-weighing and psychological outcomes may be more negative than in others.

SUBMITTER: Benn Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4917920 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundExcess gestational weight gain is common and an important risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Regular weighing can be used to assess and manage weight gain, but NICE guidelines do not recommend routine weighing during antenatal care. Trials that have tested the effectiveness of self-weighing to manage GWG have been unsuccesful in engaging women in regular self-weighing, although the reasons for lack of engagement are not fully understood. This study aimed to understand why this lack of engagement occurred by exploring the naturally occurring thoughts and feelings of pregnant women (9 to 15 weeks gestational age) who were asked to weigh themselves at home.MethodsTwenty-five women were recruited to take part. Participants completed short questionnaires at their first-trimester and 20-week scans. After recruitment, participants were asked to weigh themselves at roughly the same time each week for 8 weeks. Whilst they weighed themselves they were asked to audio-record their current weight and describe any thoughts or feelings that occurred as they weighed themselves. These audio recordings were then sent to researchers using a secure messaging service.ResultsMost of the recruited women (56%) were unaware of guidelines for gestational weight gain, and only 40% could identify the ideal rate of GWG for their BMI group. Thematic analysis of the think-aloud recordings resulted in three main themes: "understanding weight gain in pregnancy", "taking action to prevent weight gain" and "reactions to self-weighing". Overall, there was a relatively positive response to self-weighing and some participants used self-weighing to reflect on the reasons for weight gain and plan actions they could take to avoid excess gain. Negative emotional responses tended to be related to a lack of guidance about what level of weight gain or loss was "healthy", or to other worries about the pregnancy. Of the women recruited who submitted at least one think aloud recording (n 10), 80% found self-weighing to be useful, and said they would likely continue to self-weigh at home.ConclusionsWomen had complex emotions about self-weighing during pregnancy but overall found it useful, suggesting it could be encouraged as part of self-regulatory interventions to control GWG. Clear guidelines about appropriate gestational weight gain could help to reduce anxiety.Trial registrationThe study was prospectively registered with ISRCTN ISRCTN10035244 .

Project description:BackgroundGreater than 60% of adults have overweight or obesity. Self-weighing is an effective weight loss and weight maintenance tool. However, little is known about self-weighing habits among the primary care patient population. Our objective was to examine the frequency of patient-reported self-weighing, and to evaluate the associations of self-weighing with demographic characteristics and self-monitoring behaviors.MethodsWe conducted an analysis of survey data collected as part of the PaTH Clinical Data Research Network, which recruited a cohort of 1,021 primary care patients at 4 academic medical centers. Patients of all body mass index (BMI) categories were included.ResultsResponse rate of 6-month survey was 727 (71%). The mean age was 56 years, and most were female (68%), White (78%), college graduates (66%), and employed/retired (85%). The mean BMI was 30.2 kg/m2, 80% of participants had a BMI ≧ 25 kg/m2. Of patients with BMI ≧ 25 kg/m2, 35% of participants self-weighed weekly and 23% daily. Participants who reported self-weighing at least weekly were more likely to be older (59 vs 54 years, p < 0.01), married (p = 0.01), college graduates (p = 0.03), White (p < 0.01), and employed vs disabled/unemployed (p < 0.01). Patients who self-weighed daily had a lower BMI (29 kg/m2 vs 31 kg/m2, p = 0.04). Patients who tracked exercise or food intake were more likely to self-weigh daily (p < 0.01), as were patients wanting to lose or maintain weight (p < 0.01).ConclusionsDespite its potential for primary and secondary obesity prevention, only 35% of primary care patients with overweight or obesity engage in self-weighing weekly and less than a quarter (23%) self-weigh daily. Socioeconomic status appears to be a factor influencing regular self-weighing in this population, potentially contributing to greater health disparities in obesity rates. Patients who self-weighed daily had a lower BMI, suggesting that it may play a role in primary prevention of obesity. More work is needed to explore self-weighing among patients.

Project description:In this study, entrepreneurship education was explored from the perspective of the combination of psychology and literary ethics, with the purpose of studying the entrepreneurial behavior of Chinese American college students and promoting the development of entrepreneurship education. Based on the analysis of self-efficacy, the correlations among entrepreneurial intention, entrepreneurship education, and entrepreneurial efficacy of the research samples were analyzed. First, through the questionnaire design, the research samples and the measurement scales of each research variable were determined, and the survey results and the reliability of the scale were analyzed and tested. Second, based on the variance analysis and regression analysis methods, a descriptive statistical analysis was performed on the correlations among entrepreneurship education, entrepreneurial intentions, and entrepreneurial efficacy among Chinese American college students. Finally, the idea of literary ethics was integrated into entrepreneurship education, entrepreneurial intentions, and entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and the correlation structure model was constructed. The intermediary role of entrepreneurial efficacy in entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention was tested. In addition, the individual gender and family entrepreneurial behaviors were considered. The results show that the valid response rate of the questionnaire, is satisfactory at, 96.49%; the reliability and validity of the scales of the research variables are satisfactory; the Cronbach's Alpha reliability coefficient values are all above 0.80; and the fitting results of the confirmatory factors are satisfactory. The regression analysis results show significant correlations among entrepreneurship education, entrepreneurial intentions, and entrepreneurial efficacy among Chinese American college students. Entrepreneurial efficacy has a partially intermediary role in the two dimensions of entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention. Individual gender and family entrepreneurial behaviors have moderating effects, on the entrepreneurial efficacy levels of college entrepreneurs. From the perspectives of psychology and literary ethics, the above results have positive effects on the development of entrepreneurship education.

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What is the psychological impact of self-weighing? A meta-analysis.

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