Perceptions and behaviours towards high body weight among adults in Northeast China

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence of high weight at different characteristics, understand the perceptions and behaviours towards high body weight, and determine potential influencing factors of body weight misperception among high-weight adults in Jilin Province.

Design: A cross-sectional survey with complex sampling design was conducted. We described the prevalence and perception of high body weight.

Setting: Northeast China in 2012.

Subjects: Adults (n 20 552) aged 18-79 years.

Results: Of overweight individuals, 37·4 % considered themselves as 'normal weight', 4·8 % reported themselves as being 'very thin' and only 53·1 % were aware of their own weight being 'overweight'. About 1·8 % of both male and female obese individuals perceived themselves as 'very thin'. Only 29·1 % of obese people thought of themselves as 'too fat'. Nearly 30·0 % of centrally obese men and women perceived that their waist circumference was about right and they were of 'normal weight'; 5·7 % of the centrally obese even perceived themselves as being 'very thin'. Only 51·8 and 12·5 % of centrally obese individuals reported themselves to be 'overweight' or 'too fat'. Body weight misperception was more common in rural residents (OR; 95 % CI: 1·340; 1·191, 1·509). The prevalence of body weight misperception increased with age (middle age: 1·826; 1·605, 2·078; old people: 3·101; 2·648, 3·632) and declined with increased education level (junior middle school: 0·628; 0·545, 0·723; senior middle school: 0·498; 0·426, 0·583; undergraduate and above: 0·395; 0·320, 0·487).

Conclusions: Body weight misperception was common among adults from Jilin Province.

Keywords: Abdominal obesity; Body weight perception; Obesity; Overweight; Prevalence.