Do Health Beliefs and Behaviors Differ According to Severity of Obesity? A Qualitative Study of Australian Adults
Do Health Beliefs and Behaviors Differ According to Severity of Obesity? A Qualitative Study of Australian Adults
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DOI：
10.3390/ijerph7020443
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发表时间：
2010-02-01
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
Komesaroff, Paul A.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Lewis, Sophie;Thomas, Samantha L.;Komesaroff, Paul A.
公众对肥胖的反应集中在向所有肥胖者提供标准化的信息和支持，但对这些信息对肥胖成年人的影响的理解有限。本描述性定性研究采用深入访谈和专题分析方法，比较了141名轻度至中度（BMI 30-39.9）和重度（BMI >= 40）肥胖的澳大利亚成年人的健康信念和行为。轻度肥胖的人觉得没有必要改变他们的健康行为或出于健康原因减肥。大多数人认为，如果需要，他们可以“减肥”，远离肥胖这个词，并指责那些比自己“胖”的人。严重肥胖的人感到迫切需要改变他们的健康行为，但又感到无能为力。他们为自己的体重而自责，用刻板的语言来描述他们的健康行为，并描述他们与自己的身体“交战”。需要进一步研究，特别是关于耻辱和刻板印象的作用，以充分了解肥胖信息对肥胖和严重肥胖成年人的健康信念，行为和福祉的影响。
Public responses to obesity have focused on providing standardized messages and supports to all obese individuals, but there is limited understanding of the impact of these messages on obese adults. This descriptive qualitative study using in-depth interviews and a thematic method of analysis, compares the health beliefs and behaviors of 141 Australian adults with mild to moderate (BMI 30-39.9) and severe (BMI >= 40) obesity. Mildly obese individuals felt little need to change their health behaviors or to lose weight for health reasons. Most believed they could "lose weight" if they needed to, distanced themselves from the word obesity, and stigmatized those "fatter" than themselves. Severely obese individuals felt an urgent need to change their health behaviors, but felt powerless to do so. They blamed themselves for their weight, used stereotypical language to describe their health behaviors, and described being "at war" with their bodies. Further research, particularly about the role of stigma and stereotyping, is needed to fully understand the impact of obesity messaging on the health beliefs, behaviors, and wellbeing of obese and severely obese adults.