EXPLORING ATTITUDES TOWARD OBESITY AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: GENDER AND BODY MASS INDEX CORRELATIONS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51200/sapj.v12i2.4949Keywords:
Attitude Towards Obese Person, Gender, Overweight, Obese, University StudentsAbstract
The escalating prevalence of obesity among young adults is a concerning trend, given the potential for societal stigmatization. This study sought to examine whether gender differences exist in attitudes toward obese individuals and to explore the relationship between these attitudes and body mass index (BMI) among university students. Utilizing the Attitudes Toward Obese Persons (ATOP) scales, data were gathered from undergraduate students at UiTM Sarawak Branch, Samarahan Campus, during the period from April 2022 to June 2022 through an online platform. Both male and female students exhibited statistically significant, moderate scores in their attitudes toward obese individuals (p < .05). A detailed split correlation analysis revealed a noteworthy association between BMI and attitudes toward obesity, particularly among those classified as underweight. Interestingly, individuals in the underweight category demonstrated a significant positive relationship between their BMI and acceptance of obese persons (p < .05). In conclusion, female students exhibited a higher level of acceptance toward their obese peers compared to their male counterparts. Furthermore, as BMI increased, individuals in the underweight category demonstrated increased acceptance of those who were obese. The findings underscore the importance of fostering positive attitudes regardless of body weight among university students. This study advocates for the promotion of inclusive attitudes and emphasizes the significance of discouraging negative beliefs and stigmatization of obese people. Encouraging a positive and accepting environment, irrespective of body weight, is crucial. Addressing these issues can serve as a foundational step in combating the escalating rates of overweight and obesity among university students.
References
Apovian, C. M. (2016). Obesity: definition, comorbidities, causes, and burden. The American Journal of Managed Care, 22 (7 Suppl), s176–s185.
Allison, D. B., Basile, V. C., & Yuker, H. E. (1991). The measurement of attitudes towards and beliefs about obese persons. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 10(5), 599-607.
Batson, C. D., Polycarpou, M. P., Harmon-Jones, E., Imhoff, H. J., Mitchener, E. C., Bednar, L. L., Klein, T. R., & Highberger, L. (1997). Empathy and attitudes: Can feeling for a member of a stigmatized group improve feelings toward the group? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72(1), 105–118. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.72.1.105.
Christov-Moore, L., Simpson, E. A., Coudé, G., Grigaityte, K., Iacoboni, M., & Ferrari, P. F. (2014). Empathy: gender effects in brain and behaviour. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 46 Pt 4(4), 604–627. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.0
Dai, H., Alsalhe, T. A., Chalghaf, N., Riccò, M., Bragazzi, N. L., & Wu, J. (2020). The global burden of disease attributable to high body mass index in 195 countries and territories, 1990-2017: An analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study. PLoS medicine, 17(7), e1003198. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003198
Di Gesto, C., Nerini, A., Policardo, G. R., & Matera, C. (2022). Predictors of acceptance of cosmetic surgery: Instagram images-based activities, appearance comparison and body dissatisfaction among women. Aesthetic plastic surgery, 46(1), 502–512. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-021-02546-3
Eik-Nes, T. T., Tokatlian, A., Raman, J., Spirou, D., & Kvaløy, K. (2022). Depression, anxiety, and psychosocial stressors across BMI classes: A Norwegian population study - The HUNT Study [Original Research]. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2022.886148
Eriksson, J., Forsén, T., Osmond, C., & Barker, D. (2003). Obesity from cradle to grave. International journal of obesity and related metabolic disorders: Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, 27(6), 722–727. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0802278
George, D., & Mallery, P. (2019). IBM SPSS statistics 26 step by step: A simple guide and reference. Routledge.
Hoffman M. L. (1977). Sex differences in empathy and related behaviours. Psychological Bulletin, 84(4), 712–722.
Hill, A. J. (2017). Obesity in children and the 'Myth of Psychological Maladjustment': Self-Esteem in the Spotlight. Current obesity reports, 6(1), 63–70. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-017-0246-y
Hruby, A., Manson, J. E., Qi, L., Malik, V. S., Rimm, E. B., Sun, Q., Willett, W. C., & Hu, F. B. (2016). Determinants and consequences of obesity. American Journal of Public Health, 106(9), 1656–1662. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2016.303326
Institute of Public Health, IPH (2020). National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2019: Vol. I: NCDs – Non-Communicable Diseases: Risk Factors and Other Health Problems. Institute of Public Health: Kuala Lumpur.
Johnson, F., Pratt, M., & Wardle, J. (2012). Dietary restraint and self-regulation in eating behaviour. International Journal of Obesity 36(5), 665–674. https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2011.156
Mills, J. S., Shannon, A., & Hogue, J. (2017). Beauty, body image, and the media. Perception of beauty, 145-157.
Krejcie, R. V., & Morgan, D. W. (1970). Determining Sample Size for Research Activities. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 30(3): p. 607-610.
Kocher, E., Wood, D., Lim, S.-C., Jackson-Morris, A., Kataria, I., Ngongo, C., Sham, Z., Chandran, A., Nugent, R., & Mustapha, F. I. (2022). Community priorities for obesity prevention among low-income adults in Kuala Lumpur: a discrete choice experiment. Health Promotion International, 37(6). https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daac156
Lee, K. M., Hunger, J. M. & Tomiyama, A. J. (2021). Weight stigma and health behaviours: evidence from the Eating in America Study. International Journal of Obesity, 45, 1499–1509. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-021-00814-5
Lian, Q., Su, Q., Li, R., Elgar, F. J., Liu, Z., & Zheng, D. (2018). The association between chronic bullying victimization with weight status and body self-image: a cross-national study in 39 countries. Peer Journal, 6, e4330. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.4330
Lipsky, L. M., Haynie, D. L., Hill, C., Nansel, T. R., Li, K., Liu, D., Iannotti, R. J., & Simons-Morton, B. (2019). Accuracy of self-reported height, weight, and BMI over time in emerging adults. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 56(6), 860–868. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2019.01.004
Md Yasin, Z. A. M., Ponliran, D., Tengku Ab Rahaman, T. S. R., & Zuliple, Z. A. (2018). An investigation on the lifestyle factors influencing the Body Mass Index (BMI) of students in UiTM Melaka using logistic regression. ESTEEM, 14.
Mukaka, M. M. (2012). A guide to appropriate use of correlation coefficient in medical research. Malawi Medical Journal, 24(3), 69-71.
Nelson, M. C., Story, M., Larson, N. I., Neumark-Sztainer, D., & Lytle, L. A. (2008). Emerging adulthood and college-aged youth: an overlooked age for weight-related behavior change. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 16(10), 2205–2211. https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2008.365
Olfert, M. D., Barr, M. L., Charlier, C. M., Famodu, O. A., Zhou, W., Mathews, A. E., Byrd-Bredbenner, C., & Colby, S. E. (2018). Self-Reported vs. Measured Height, Weight, and BMI in Young Adults. International Journal of Environmental Research in Public Health, 15(10). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15102216
Pearl, R. L., & Puhl, R. M. (2018). Weight bias internalisation and health: a systematic review. Obesity Reviews, 19: 1141–1163. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.12701.
Pitil, P. P. & Ghazali, S. R. (2022). Overweight and obesity: a study among university students in Sarawak, Malaysia. International Journal of Health Promotion and Education, 1-13. https://10.1080/14635240.2022.2040380
Puhl, R. M., & Heuer, C. A. (2009). The stigma of obesity: a review and update. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 17(5), 941–964. https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2008.636
Puhl, R. M., Himmelstein, M. S., & Pearl, R. L. (2020). Weight stigma as a psychosocial contributor to obesity. The American psychologist, 75(2), 274–289. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000538
Rathbone, J. A. (2021). Weight stigma and discrimination: psychological and social determinants and the implications for behaviour and health. PhD Thesis, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland. https://doi.org/10.14264/64e6eb9
Sattler, K. M., Deane, F. P., Tapsell, L., & Kelly, P. J. (2018). Gender differences in the relationship of weight-based stigmatisation with motivation to exercise and physical activity in overweight individuals. Health Psychology Open, 5(1), 2055102918759691. https://doi.org/10.1177/2055102918759691
Smith, C. (2019). Body Human Development and Family Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/hdfsrsuht/4
Suhaimi, A., Pitil, P.P. & Wahed, W. J. E. (2023). Weight Self-Stigma and Its Relationship with Body Mass Index and Level of Physical Activity among University Students. In the 1st International Scientific Body Composition 2021. p. 38. https://jummec.um.edu.my/index.php/jummec/issue/view/2178
Stok, F. M., Renner, B., Clarys, P., Lien, N., Lakerveld, J., & Deliens, T. (2018). Understanding eating behavior during the transition from adolescence to young adulthood: A literature review and perspective on future research directions. Nutrients, 10(6), 667. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10060667
Tan, S. T., Tan, C. X., & Tan, S. S. (2021). Physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and weight status of university students during the COVID-19 Lockdown: A cross-national comparative study. International journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(13), 7125. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18137125
Taherdoost, H. (2016). Sampling methods in research methodology; how to choose a sampling technique for research. How to choose a sampling technique for research (April 10, 2016). http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3205035
Tomiyama, A. J., Carr, D., Granberg, E. M., Major, B., Robinson, E., Sutin, A. R., & Brewis, A. (2018). How and why weight stigma drives the obesity 'epidemic' and harms health. BMC Medicine, 16(1), 123. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-018-1116-5
Vogel-Scibilia, S. E., McNulty, K. C., Baxter, B., Miller, S., Dine, M., & Frese, F. J., 3rd (2009). The recovery process utilises Erikson's stages of human development. Community Mental Health Journal, 45(6), 405–414. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-009-9189-4
Weinberger, N. A., Kersting, A., Riedel-Heller, S. G., & Luck-Sikorski, C. (2016). Body dissatisfaction in individuals with obesity compared to normal-weight individuals: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Obesity Facts, 9 (6), 424 – 441. https://doi.org/10.1159/000454837
Wellman, J. D., Araiza, A. M., Newell, E. E., & McCoy, S. K. (2018). Weight stigma facilitates unhealthy eating and weight gain via fear of fat. Stigma and Health, 3(3), 186–194. https://doi.org/10.1037/sah0000088
WHO (2017). Obesity and overweight factsheet from the World Health Organization. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight
WHO Expert Consultation (2004). Appropriate body-mass index for Asian populations and its implications for policy and intervention strategies. Lancet (London, England), 363(9403), 157–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(03)15268-3
Wood, D., Crapnell, T., Lau, L., Bennett, A., Lotstein, D., Ferris, M., & Kuo, A. (2018). Emerging adulthood as a critical stage in the life course. Handbook of Life Course Health Development, 123-143.
Zainudin, S., Daud, Z., Mohamad, M., Boon, A. T. T., & Mohamed, W. M. I. W. (2011). A summary of the Malaysian clinical practice guidelines on management of obesity 2004. Journal of the ASEAN Federation of Endocrine Societies, 26(2), 101-101.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
Total Views: 21
| 
Total Downloads: 11
