Sharik Association for Health Research, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Obes Facts. 2021;14(6):586-592. doi: 10.1159/000518633. Epub 2021 Sep 14.
Obesity affects more than one-quarter of adults in Saudi Arabia and is on the rise. A significant proportion of overweight and obese individuals misperceive their weight, and this misperception can affect their likelihood to exercise, consume healthy foods, or change unhealthy dietary habits. This study examines the prevalence of weight misperceptions in a national sample of Saudi adults and explores weight misperception association with sociodemographic factors, behavioral factors, and health status.
This study was a nationwide cross-sectional survey conducted via phone interviews. A proportional quota sampling technique was used to obtain equal distributions of participants, stratified by age and gender, across the 13 regions of Saudi Arabia. Weight and height were self-reported, and obesity was determined as a BMI ≥30. Participants were asked to describe their current weight as ideal, underweight, overweight, or obese. Misclassification was then compared across groups according to a range of sociodemographic factors, behavioral risk factors, and health indicators.
Of the 6,239 participants contacted, 4,709 (75.5%) responded and completed the interview. Of them, 50.1% were female, and the mean age was 36.4 (SD ± 13.55) years. The majority (70.1%) of participants indicated having weighed themselves within the past 30 days. The prevalence of weight misperception in general was 42.0%, and in obese participants, it was 67.6%. In addition, a significant association was observed between weight misperception and obesity, age-group, educational level, diagnosed chronic condition, self-rated health, and sedentary lifestyle. There was no significant association between weight misperception and gender, physical activity, or a nutritional knowledge.
Weight misperception could be used as an indicator of a poor health routine that may lead to negative health outcomes.
肥胖影响了超过四分之一的沙特阿拉伯成年人，且其发病率还在上升。相当一部分超重和肥胖个体对自己的体重存在错误认知，这种错误认知可能会影响他们锻炼、食用健康食品或改变不健康饮食习惯的可能性。本研究调查了沙特成年人中普遍存在的体重错误认知现象，并探讨了体重错误认知与社会人口统计学因素、行为因素和健康状况之间的关系。
本研究采用全国性横断面调查，通过电话访谈进行。采用比例配额抽样技术，在沙特阿拉伯 13 个地区按年龄和性别进行等比例抽样。体重和身高由参与者自我报告，体重指数（BMI）≥30 被定义为肥胖。参与者被要求描述自己当前的体重状况，分为理想体重、体重过轻、超重和肥胖。然后，根据一系列社会人口统计学因素、行为风险因素和健康指标，对不同组别进行分类比较。
在联系的 6239 名参与者中，有 4709 名（75.5%）做出回应并完成了访谈。其中，50.1%为女性，平均年龄为 36.4（标准差±13.55）岁。大多数（70.1%）参与者表示在过去 30 天内称过体重。总体而言，体重错误认知的发生率为 42.0%，肥胖参与者的这一比例为 67.6%。此外，体重错误认知与肥胖、年龄组、教育程度、诊断出的慢性疾病、自我评估的健康状况和久坐的生活方式之间存在显著关联。体重错误认知与性别、体力活动或营养知识之间没有显著关联。
体重错误认知可能是不良健康习惯的一个指标，这可能导致不良健康后果。
