Centre for Social Research in Health, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Ethn Health. 2021 Nov;26(8):1209-1224. doi: 10.1080/13557858.2019.1607261. Epub 2019 Apr 22.
Though several studies have focused on risk factors associated with excess weight gain, little is known about the extent to which socio-cultural beliefs about body sizes may contribute to risk of excess weight gain, especially in non-Western migrant communities. Drawing on socio-cultural and attribution theories, this study mainly explored socio-cultural beliefs about an ideal body size among Australian residents who were born in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Implications of body size beliefs for risk of excess weight gain after immigration have also been discussed. Employing a qualitative design, 24 in-depth interviews were conducted with Australian residents who were born in SSA. Thematic content analysis was undertaken to ensure that participants' experiences and views were clearly captured. According to the participants, a moderately large body size is idealised in the SSA community and post-migration weight gain is commonly regarded as evidence of well-being. While desirability of a moderately large body size was noted by some participants, others were concerned about health risks (e.g. high blood pressure) associated with excess weight gain. Moreover, body size ideals seemed to be different for men and women in the SSA community and these ideals were mainly promoted by family and friends. Participants reported that women with very slim (skinny) body sizes are often regarded as persons suffering from health problems, whereas those with 'plumpy' body types are often considered beautiful. Participants also noted that men are expected to look well-built and muscular while those with big bellies are often seen as financially rich. Participants' interpretation of post-migration weight gain as evidence of well-being calls for urgent intervention as risk of excess weight gain appear to be high in this immigrant group.
尽管有几项研究集中在与体重过度增加相关的风险因素上，但对于社会文化对体型的观念在多大程度上可能导致体重过度增加的风险，特别是在非西方移民群体中，人们知之甚少。本研究主要借鉴社会文化和归因理论，探讨了在澳大利亚出生于撒哈拉以南非洲（SSA）的居民对理想体型的社会文化观念。还讨论了体型观念对移民后体重过度增加风险的影响。本研究采用定性设计，对 24 名在澳大利亚出生于 SSA 的居民进行了深入访谈。采用主题内容分析方法，以确保清楚地捕捉到参与者的经验和观点。根据参与者的说法，在 SSA 社区中，中等大小的体型是理想的，移民后体重增加通常被认为是健康的证据。虽然一些参与者认为中等大小的体型是理想的，但另一些参与者则担心与体重增加相关的健康风险（如高血压）。此外，在 SSA 社区中，体型理想似乎因男女而异，这些理想主要是由家人和朋友推动的。参与者报告说，体型非常瘦（瘦）的女性通常被视为患有健康问题的人，而体型丰满的女性通常被认为是美丽的。参与者还指出，男性应该看起来健康强壮，而大腹便便的男性通常被视为富有。参与者将移民后的体重增加解释为健康的证据，这需要紧急干预，因为这个移民群体的体重过度增加风险似乎很高。
