Division of Clinical & Population Sciences & Education, University of Dundee, The MacKenzie Building, Kirsty Semple Way, Dundee DD2 4BF, UK.
J Public Health Policy. 2011 Nov;32(4):430-44. doi: 10.1057/jphp.2011.45. Epub 2011 Sep 1.
Increases in the prevalence of obesity have led to calls for policy interventions in the United Kingdom. Little is known, however, about how the public explains overweight, or their support for interventions. Our research team recruited 500 adults (≥18 years of age) across the United Kingdom to complete a cross-sectional survey asking about beliefs concerning the causes of excess weight, and support for particular policy interventions. Respondents completed questionnaires in their homes with the assistance of an interviewer. Results suggested that support for policy interventions was greatest when responsibility was attributed to factors beyond individual control, with support for child-focused interventions particularly high. The relationship is more complex than previous studies suggest, as believing in the over-availability of unhealthy foods predicted higher support for policy interventions, whereas beliefs in structural explanations, such as cost, had little influence on support. Recognition of this complexity may help to design more effective future policies to tackle obesity.
肥胖症患病率的上升促使人们呼吁在英国采取政策干预措施。然而，公众对超重的解释或对干预措施的支持知之甚少。我们的研究团队在英国招募了 500 名成年人（≥18 岁），让他们填写一份横断面调查，了解他们对超重原因的看法，以及对特定政策干预措施的支持程度。受访者在一名访谈者的协助下在家中完成了问卷调查。结果表明，当责任归因于个人无法控制的因素时，对政策干预措施的支持最大，对以儿童为重点的干预措施的支持尤其高。这种关系比之前的研究表明的要复杂得多，因为相信不健康食品的过度供应会预测对政策干预措施的更高支持，而对结构性解释（如成本）的信念对支持的影响很小。认识到这种复杂性可能有助于设计更有效的未来政策来解决肥胖问题。
