Body Mass Index, Perceived Weight, and Self-Rated Health among South Korean Adults: Conjoint Effect on Health?

Soyoung Kwon; Soyoung Kwon

doi:10.3934/publichealth.2017.5.513

AIMS Public Health

2017, Volume 4, Issue 5: 513-525. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2017.5.513

Previous Article Next Article

Research article

Body Mass Index, Perceived Weight, and Self-Rated Health among South Korean Adults: Conjoint Effect on Health?

Soyoung Kwon ^,

Department of Psychology & Sociology, Texas A & M University- Kingsville, 700 University Blvd, MSC 177, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA

Received: 12 October 2017 Accepted: 17 November 2017 Published: 20 November 2017

The prevalence of overweight and obesity is rising rapidly in many countries, including South Korea. The present study examined the association between weight perception and self-rated health, independent of body weight status, as well as how weight status and perceived weight status intersect and relate to the self-rated health among adults in South Korea. Data were from 722 men and 800 women in 2010 Korean General Social Survey. Results showed that over half of Korean adults perceived their weight incorrectly with a fair agreement (men ƙ = 0.36; women ƙ = 0.31). Multivariate analyses indicated that poor/fair self-rated health had no significant association with body weight status, measured by self-reported weight and height, but it had a significant association with perceived weight status in men. The intersectionality analysis in which weight status and weight perceptions were cross-classified indicated that both measured and perceived weight status should be taken into account for the indicator of self-rated health as well as for better understanding of weight-related health consequences.

Keywords:

Citation: Soyoung Kwon. Body Mass Index, Perceived Weight, and Self-Rated Health among South Korean Adults: Conjoint Effect on Health?[J]. AIMS Public Health, 2017, 4(5): 513-525. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2017.5.513

Related Papers:

[1]	Junfeng Jiao . Measuring Vulnerable Population’s Healthy and Unhealthy Food Access in Austin, Texas. AIMS Public Health, 2016, 3(4): 722-732. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2016.4.722
[2]	Moazzam Tanveer, Ejaz Asghar, Umar Tanveer, Nadeem Roy, Asifa Zeba, Sameer Badri Al-Mhanna, Xiaoran Ma, Alexios Batrakoulis . Association of nutrition behavior and food intake with overweight and obesity among school-aged children and adolescents in Pakistan: a cross-sectional study. AIMS Public Health, 2024, 11(3): 803-818. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2024040
[3]	Wenpeng You, Maciej Henneberg . Cereal Crops Are not Created Equal: Wheat Consumption Associated with Obesity Prevalence Globally and Regionally. AIMS Public Health, 2016, 3(2): 313-328. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2016.2.313
[4]	MaríaVictorinaAguilarVilas, GabrielaRubalcava, AntonioBecerra, MaríaCarmenMartínezPara . Nutritional Status and Obesity Prevalence in People with Gender Dysphoria. AIMS Public Health, 2014, 1(3): 137-146. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2014.3.137
[5]	Simone K. Malik, Jerome Kouame, Mory Gbane, Madikiny Coulibaly, Michèle D. Ake, Odile Ake . Prevalence of abdominal obesity and its correlates among adults in a peri-urban population of West Africa. AIMS Public Health, 2019, 6(3): 334-344. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2019.3.334
[6]	Marte K.R. Kjøllesdal, Gerd Holmboe-Ottesen . Dietary Patterns and Birth Weight—a Review. AIMS Public Health, 2014, 1(4): 211-225. doi: 10.3934/Publichealth.2014.4.211
[7]	Theresa A Nicklas, Carol E O'Neil, Victor L Fulgoni . Nutrient intake, introduction of baby cereals and other complementary foods in the diets of infants and toddlers from birth to 23 months of age. AIMS Public Health, 2020, 7(1): 123-147. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2020012
[8]	Dorota Zarnowiecki, Meaghan S Christian, James Dollman, Natalie Parletta, Charlotte E.L Evans, Janet E Cade . Comparison of school day eating behaviours of 8–11 year old children from Adelaide, South Australia, and London, England . AIMS Public Health, 2018, 5(4): 394-410. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2018.4.394
[9]	Theresa A. Nicklas, Carol E. O'Neil . Prevalence of Obesity: A Public Health Problem Poorly Understood. AIMS Public Health, 2014, 1(2): 109-122. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2014.2.109
[10]	Maria Pia Riccio, Gennaro Catone, Rosamaria Siracusano, Luisa Occhiati, Pia Bernardo, Emilia Sarnataro, Giuseppina Corrado, Carmela Bravaccio . Vitamin D deficiency is not related to eating habits in children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder. AIMS Public Health, 2020, 7(4): 792-803. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2020061

Abstract

With global obesity on the rise, the need for research concerning the complexity of risk factors is more important than ever. While the increase of the high-calorie, low-nutrient food supply correlates with rising weights, new studies across disciplines reveal the intricacy of the environmental and circumstantial phenomena that influence obesity rates and behaviors for at-risk individuals. AIMS Public Health is pleased to present this special issue entitled “Obesity and Food Intake in Vulnerable Populations” in support of this research. This edition contains two research reviews, a research study, and a brief report related to obesity and human behavior.

In the issue’s first article, McGuigan and Wilkinson [1] assess whether obesity is a factor in avoiding healthcare through the examination of related journal articles published over a 22-year period, finding that perceived bias, along with other factors, contributes to obese patients evading care. Meanwhile, Vilas, Rubalcava, Becerra, and Para [2] investigate how gender dysphoria and its associated treatment contribute to obesity through hormonal therapies and lifestyle changes, advocating for the inclusion of dietary education in treatments. On the other end of the spectrum, Kjøllesdal and Holmboe-Ottesen [3] evaluate the affect of a mother’s dietary choices and food intake on the prevalence of low birth weight babies. Through the analysis of studies on diet and birth weight in high-income countries, the authors found that processed food and sugar intake associate with low birth weights. Finally, Divin and Zullig [4] explore a different aspect of vulnerable populations and public health in studying the relationship between adolescent non-medical prescription drug use and suicide through responses in the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

The topics investigated in these articles illustrate the highly complicated and multifaceted relationships between vulnerable populations and public health outcomes, with a focus on healthcare and food intake. The theories explored provide a model for researchers seeking to demystify risk factors for and causes of obesity beyond the simple calorie-exercise balance explanation. The authors in this issue acknowledge the role that outside influences can play in healthy behaviors, and advocate for the consideration of these environmental and interactive factors by professionals in the medical establishment.

Conflict of Interest

Author declares no conflict of interest in this paper.

References

[1]	Guh DP, Zhang W, Bansback N, et al. (2009) The incidence of co-morbidities related to obesity and overweight: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC public health 9: 88. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-9-88
[2]	Burton BT, Foster WR, Hirsch J, et al. (1985) Health implications of obesity: an NIH Consensus Development Conference. IJO 9: 155–170.
[3]	Campos P, Saguy A, Ernsberger P, et al. (2006) The epidemiology of overweight and obesity: public health crisis or moral panic? Int J Epidemiol 35: 55–60. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyi254
[4]	Muennig P (2008) The body politic: the relationship between stigma and obesity-associated disease. BMC Public Health 8: 128. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-8-128
[5]	Schafer MH, Ferraro KF (2011) The stigma of obesity: Does perceive weight discrimination affect identity and physical health? Soc Psychol Q 74: 76–97. doi: 10.1177/0190272511398197
[6]	Frisco M, Houle JN, Martin M (2009) Adolescent weight and depressive symptoms: For whom is weight a burden? Soc Sci Q 90: 1019–1038.
[7]	Lim H, Wang Y (2013) Body weight misperception patterns and their association with health‐related factors among adolescents in South Korea. Obes 21: 2596–2603. doi: 10.1002/oby.20361
[8]	Atlantis E, Ball K (2008) Association between weight perception and psychological distress. IJO 32: 715–721.
[9]	Heshmat R, Kelishadi R, Motamed-Gorji N, et al. (2015) Association between body mass index and perceived weight status with self-rated health and life satisfaction in Iranian children and adolescents: the CASPIAN-III study. Qual Life Res 24: 263–272. doi: 10.1007/s11136-014-0757-x
[10]	Herman KM, Hopman WM, Rosenberg MW (2013) Self-rated health and life satisfaction among Canadian adults: associations of perceived weight status versus BMI. Qual Life Res 22: 2693–2705. doi: 10.1007/s11136-013-0394-9
[11]	Frisco ML, Houle JN, Martin MA (2010) The image in the mirror and the number on the scale weight, weight perceptions, and adolescent depressive symptoms. J Health Soc Behav 51: 215–228. doi: 10.1177/0022146510372353
[12]	Hayward J, Millar L, Petersen S, et al. (2014) When ignorance is bliss: weight perception, body mass index and quality of life in adolescents. IJO 38: 1328–1334.
[13]	Wardle J, Haase AM, Steptoe A (2006) Body image and weight control in young adults: international comparisons in university students from 22 countries. IJO 30: 644-651.
[14]	Kolotkin RL, Meter K, Williams GR (2001) Quality of life and obesity. Obes Rev 2: 219–229. doi: 10.1046/j.1467-789X.2001.00040.x
[15]	Idler EL, Benyamini Y (1997) Self-rated health and mortality: a review of twenty-seven community studies. J Health Soc Behav 38: 21–37. doi: 10.2307/2955359
[16]	Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development [OECD] Health Data (2012). Available from: http://www.oecd.org/health/health-systems/oecdhealthdata.htm.
[17]	Korea Herald (2015) Obesity emerges as major health threat in South Korea. Retrieved from http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20150813001101.
[18]	Korea Herald. (2013) Does Korea have an obesity problem? Retrieved from http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20130722000650.
[19]	Kim SW, Korean General Social Survey (KGSS), 2010. ICPSR34666-v2. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2013-10-28.
[20]	WHO expert consultation (2004) Appropriate body-mass index for Asian populations and its implications for policy and intervention strategies. Lancet 363: 157–163. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(03)15268-3
[21]	Stata Corp (2015) Stata Statistical Software: Release 14. College Station, TX: StataCorp LP.
[22]	Viera AJ, Garrett JM (2005) Understanding interobserver agreement: the kappa statistic. Fam Med 37: 360–363.
[23]	Chang VW, Christakis NA (2003) Self-perception of weight appropriateness in the United States. Am J Prev Med 24: 332–339. doi: 10.1016/S0749-3797(03)00020-5
[24]	Simonsen MK, Hundrup YA, Grønbæk M, et al. (2008) A prospective study of the association between weight changes and self-rated health. BMC women's health 8: 13. doi: 10.1186/1472-6874-8-13
[25]	Korkeila M, Kaprio J, Rissanen A, et al. (1998) Predictors of major weight gain in adult Finns: stress, life satisfaction, and personality traits. IJO 22: 949–957.
[26]	Gorber SC, Tremblay M, Moher D, et al. (2007) A comparison of direct vs. self‐report measures for assessing height, weight and body mass index: a systematic review. Obes Rev 8: 307–326.
[27]	Shields M, Gorber SC, Tremblay MS (2008) Estimates of obesity based on self-report versus direct measures. Health Rep 19: 61.

Reader Comments

Your name:*

Email:*
© 2017 the Author(s), licensee AIMS Press. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)