Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-gtxcr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-19T01:49:25.683Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

DIFFERENTIAL PERCEPTIONS OF BODY IMAGE AND BODY WEIGHT AMONG ADULTS OF DIFFERENT SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS IN A SUB-URBAN POPULATION

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2013

FATAI A. MARUF ,
ADERONKE O. AKINPELU  and
NWANNEDIMMA V. UDOJI
FATAI A. MARUF*
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences and Technology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nnewi, Nigeria
ADERONKE O. AKINPELU
Affiliation:
Department of Physiotherapy, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
NWANNEDIMMA V. UDOJI
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences and Technology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nnewi, Nigeria
*
1Corresponding author. Email: mafaad@yahoo.com
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

This study explored the association of socioeconomic status with individuals' perception of their body image (BI) and body weight (BW) among adults in a sub-urban Nigerian population. The cross-sectional sample comprised 1521 residents (775 males and 746 females) of the town of Nnewi. Perceived BI was assessed using figural representations of different sizes for males and females. Perceived BW was determined by presenting participants with BW category options to choose from. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated from objectively measured BW and height using standardized procedures. Actual BW categories were derived from participants' BMIs using WHO criteria. Perceived BI and BW differed from actual BW among unskilled and non-tertiary males (p<0.001) and female (p<0.001 to p<0.04) in all BW categories whereas these variables differed (p<0.001) among skilled and tertiary males and females in normal weight, overweight and obese categories. Perceived BW differed (p<0.001) from actual BW among unskilled and non-tertiary males in underweight, overweight and obese categories whereas these variables differed (p<0.001) among unskilled and non-tertiary females, skilled and tertiary males and females in overweight and obese categories. Underweight ‘unskilled’ and ‘non-tertiary’ males perceived their BI to be different from their actual BW (p<0.001). Overweight and obese ‘skilled’ and ‘unskilled’, and ‘tertiary’ and ‘non-tertiary’, males and females perceived their BI and BW to be different from their actual BW (p<0.001). Significant differences in perceived BI existed between ‘skilled’ and ‘unskilled’ (p<0.001), and ‘tertiary’ and ‘non-tertiary’ (p=0.005), overweight males, and between ‘skilled’ and ‘unskilled’ (p<0.001), and ‘tertiary’ and ‘non-tertiary’ (p=0.008), normal-weight females. The ‘skilled’ participants had a lower risk of perceiving a larger BI (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.41–0.64; p<0.001) and larger BW (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.53–0.96; p=0.03) than the ‘unskilled’ participants. The ‘tertiary’ participants had a lower risk of perceiving a larger BI (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.40–0.63; p<0.001) and larger BW (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.53–0.95; p=0.02) than the ‘non-tertiary’ participants. After adjusting for possible confounders, all the risks became insignificant except for perception of BI by the ‘skilled’ participants (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.50–0.99; p=0.04). Individuals in the different occupational and educational categories perceived their BI differently but their BW similarly. Given the same BMI, age, perceived ideal BI and sex, only occupation is found to be associated with perception of BI.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 46 , Issue 3 , May 2014 , pp. 279 - 293
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alwan, H., Viswanathan, B., Williams, J., Paccaud, F. & Bovet, P. (2010) Association between weight perception and socioeconomic status among adults in the Seychelles. BMC Public Health 10, 467.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chang, V. W. & Christakis, N. A. (2003) Self-perception of weight appropriateness in the United States. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 24(4), 332–339.Google Scholar
Cheung, P. C., Ip, P. L., Lam, S. T. & Bibby, H. (2007) A study on body weight perception and weight control behaviors among adolescents in Hong Kong. Hong Kong Medical Journal 13(1), 16–21.Google Scholar
Cockerham, W. C. (2005) Health lifestyle theory and the convergence of agency and structure. Journal of Health and Social Behaviour 46, 51–67.Google Scholar
Dorsey, R. R., Eberhardt, M. S. & Ogden, C. L. (2009) Racial/ethnic differences in weight perception. Obesity (Silver Spring) 17, 790–795.Google Scholar
Duda, R. B., Jumah, N. A., Hill, A. G., Seffah, J. & Biritwum, R. (2007) Assessment of the ideal body image of women in Accra, Ghana. Tropical Doctor 37, 241–244.Google Scholar
Edwards, J., Jackson, C., Cheater, F. & Holt, J. & Robinson, M. (2009) Healthy eating and physical activity choices in socio-economically disadvantaged women: the role of health literacy. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 63, 12.Google Scholar
Goedcke, J. H., Jennings, C. L. & Lambert, E. V. (2006) Obesity in South Africa. In Steyn, K., Fourie, J. & Jemple, N. (eds) Chronic Diseases of Lifestyle Since 1995–2005. Medical Research Council Report Chronic Diseases of Lifestyle. URL: http://www.mrc.ac.za/chronic/cdl1995-2005.pdf (accessed May 2013).Google Scholar
Hassan, M. K., Joshi, A. V., Madhavan, S. S. & Amonkar, M. M. (2003) Obesity and health-related quality of life: a cross-sectional analysis of the US population. International Journal of Obesity-Related Metabolic Disorder 27(10), 1227–1232.Google Scholar
Hoare, P. & Cosgrove, L. (1998) Eating habits, body-esteem and self-esteem in Scottish children and adolescents. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 45, 425–431.Google Scholar
Hohlstein, L. A., Smith, G. T. & Atlas, J. G. (1998) An application of expectancy theory to eating disorders: Development and validation of measures of eating and dieting expectancies. Psychological Assessment 10, 49–58.Google Scholar
Jefferey, R. W. & Utter, J. (2003) The changing environment and population obesity in the United State. Obesity Research 11, 12–22S.Google Scholar
Kuchler, F. & Variyam, J. N. (2003) Mistakes were made: misperception as a barrier to reducing overweight. International Journal of Obesity Related and Metabolic Disorders 27(7), 856–861.Google Scholar
McCabe, M. P. & Ricciardelli, L. A. (2003) Body image and strategies to lose weight and increase muscle among boys and girls. Health Psychology 22, 39–46.Google Scholar
Lynch, E., Liu, K., Spring, B., Hankinson, A., Wei, G. S. & Greenland, P. (2007) Association of ethnicity and socioeconomic status with judgments of body size: the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study. American Journal of Epidemiology 165, 1055–1062.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maruf, F. A., Akinpelu, A. O. & Nwankwo, M. J. (2012) Perceived body image and weight: discrepancies and gender differences among University undergraduates. African Health Sciences 4, 464–472.Google Scholar
Messer, E. (1989) Small but healthy? Some cultural considerations. Human Organization 48, 39–52.Google Scholar
Mikolajczyk, R. T., Maxwell, A. E., Ansari, W. E., Stock, C., Petkeviciene, J. & Grima, F. G. (2010) Relationship between perceived body weight and body mass index based on self-reported height and weight among university students: a cross-sectional study in seven European countries. BMC Public Health 10, 40.Google Scholar
Mvo, Z., Dick, J. & Steyn, K. (1999) Perceptions of overweight African women and children. Curationis 22, 27–31.Google Scholar
Paeratakul, S., White, M. A., Donald, A., Williamson, D. A., Ryan, D. H. & Bray, G. A. (2002) Sex, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and BMI in relation to self-perception of overweight. Obesity Research 10, 345–350.Google Scholar
Pritchard, M. E., King, S. L. & Czajka-Narins, D. M. (1997) Adolescent body mass indices and self-perception. Adolescence 32(128), 863–880.Google Scholar
Puoane, T., Steyn, K., Bradshaw, D., Laubscher, R., Fourie, J., Lambert, V. & Mbanaga, N. (2002) Obesity in South Africa demographic and health survey. Obesity Research 10, 1038–1048.Google Scholar
Puoane, T., Bradley, H. & Hughes, G. D. (2005) Obesity among black South African women. Human Ecology (Special Issue) 13, 91–95.Google Scholar
OpenEpi (2013) Sample Size Calculation for a Single Cross-Sectional Survey Comparing Two Subgroups Version 4.04.15. URL: http://www.micronutrient.org/nutritiontoolkit/ModuleFolders/5.Sampling/tools/Sample_to_compare_two_surveys_-_unequal_sample_size.htm (accessed May 2013).Google Scholar
Office of Management and Budget (1998) Standard Occupational Classification. URL: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/assets/omb/fedreg/socfr5.pdf (accessed May 2013).Google Scholar
Schieman, S., Pudrovska, T. & Eccies, R. (2007) Perception of body weight among older adults: analyses of intersection of gender, race and socioeconomic status. Journal of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 62, S415–423.Google Scholar
Scott, I., Bentley, G. R., Tovee, M. J., Ahamed, F. U. & Magid, K. (2007) An evolutionary perspective on male preference for female body shape. In Swami, V. & Furnham, A. (eds) Body Beautiful: Evolutionary and Sociocultural Perspective. Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke, UK, pp. 65–87.Google Scholar
Sobal, J. (1991) Obesity and socio-economic status: a framework for examining relationships between physical and social variables. Medical Anthropology 13(3), 231–247.Google Scholar
Sobal, J. & Stunkard, A. J. (1989) Socioeconomic status and obesity: a review of the literature. Psychological Bulletin 105, 260–275.Google Scholar
Stice, E. (2001) A prospective test of the dual-pathway model of bulimic pathology: mediating effects of dieting and negative affect. Journal of Abnormal Psychology 110(1), 124–135.Google Scholar
Stunkard, A., Sorensen, T. L., Hanis, C., Teasdale, T. W., Chakraborty, R., Schuli, W. J. & Schursiger, F. (1986) An adoption study of human obesity. New England Journal of Medicine 314, 193–198.Google Scholar
Thompson, J. K. & Altabe, M. N. (1991) Psychometric qualities of the Figure Rating Scale. International Journal of Eating Disorders 10, 615–619.Google Scholar
Thompson, J. K., Coovert, M. D. & Stormer, S. M. (1999) Body image, social comparison, and eating disturbance: a covariance structure modeling investigation. International Journal of Eating Disorders 26(1), 43–51.Google Scholar
UNESCO (1997) International Standard Classification of Education. URL: http://www.unesco.org/education/information/nfsunesco/doc/isced_1997.htm (accessed May 2013).Google Scholar
US Department of Health and Human Services (2008) America's Health Literacy: Why We Need Accessible Health Information. An issue brief from the US Department of Health and Human ServicesGoogle Scholar
Wang, Y., Liang, H. & Chen, X. (2009) Measured body mass index, body weight perception, and dissatisfaction and control practices in urban, low-income African American adolescents. BMC Public Health 9, 183.Google Scholar
WHO (1998) Obesity: Preventing and Managing the Global Epidemic. Report of a WHO consultation on obesity. WHO, Geneva.Google Scholar
WHO (2006) Global Database of Body Mass Index: BMI Classification. URL: http://www.who.int/bmi/index.jsp?introPage=intro_3.html (accessed 3rd May 2013).Google Scholar
Wykes, M. & Gunter, B. (2005) The Media and Body Image: If Looks Could Kill. Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA.Google Scholar