Obesity and weight misperception among adults in the Eastern Caribbean Health Outcomes Research Network (ECHORN) Cohort Study

Abstract

SummaryObjectivePrior studies have suggested that weight misperception – underestimating one's actual weight – may be associated with reduced engagement in weight loss programmes, decreasing the success of initiatives to address obesity and obesity‐related diseases. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors associated with weight misperception among Eastern Caribbean adults and its influence on engagement in weight control behaviour.MethodsData from the Eastern Caribbean Health Outcomes Research Network (ECHORN) Cohort Study were analysed (adults aged 40 and older, residing in the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Barbados and Trinidad). Weight misperception is defined as participants who under‐assess their weight measured by body mass index (BMI). Multivariable logistic regression (n = 1,803 participants) was used to examine the association of weight misperception with BMI category, age, gender, education, history of non‐communicable disease and attempt to lose weight.ResultsWeight misperception was common, with 54% of overweight (BMI 25–29 kg m−2), and 23% of obese class I (BMI 30–34.9 kg m−2) participants under‐assessing their actual weight. Participants with higher levels of education, versus lower, had decreased odds of weight misperception (OR 0.5, p < 0.001). There were no significantly reduced odds of weight misperception in women versus men (OR 1.13, p = 0.367) or in individuals with history of diabetes versus none (OR 0.88, p = 0.418). Participants with weight misperception had 85% (p < 0.0001) lower odds of attempting weight loss than those with accurate weight perception.ConclusionWeight misperception is common among adults with overweight and obesity in the Eastern Caribbean and is associated with lower likelihood of attempting weight loss. Obesity interventions, targeting similar populations, should incorporate approaches for addressing weight misperception to achieve measurable success.

Weight underestimation linked to anxiety and depression in a cross-sectional study of overweight individuals in a Sami and non-Sami Norwegian population: the SAMINOR Study

“…Some demographic factors seem to influence weight underestimation. In our study, underestimation increased slightly by age, and this is also observed in several other studies 4 38 39. Higher education, which is often considered a proxy for higher socioeconomic status, was protective of underestimation in the non-Sami with overweight/obesity, and this is in accordance with findings of previous studies 4 31 38 39.…”

“…The discrepancy between women and men highly agrees with most studies published, and many of these are based on different ethnic populations 4 31 35–37. A study of Caribbean adults aged >40 years, however, showed equal sex distribution 38. The authors of the latter study argue that part of the explanation for the observed equal distribution between men and women may be that the general view within this community is that overweight is actually desirable.…”

Toward Reducing Health Information Inequities in the Caribbean: Our Experience Building a Participatory Health Informatics Project

“…This unique partnership created the ECHORN Cohort Study (ECS), the first regional cohort study. 18,19 The ECS is an ongoing prospective cohort study that seeks to improve our understanding of early predictors and risk factors for NCDs in Caribbean and Caribbean-descent populations. With 3,000 cohort participants, the ECS collects data using survey tools, clinical assessment, and blood testing.…”

“…Collected data include a wide range of participant and household characteristics, past medical diagnoses, health biomarkers and health outcomes, and health care utilization. 18,19 One of the main aims of the Yale-TCC is to create a mechanism to share de-identified and aggregated population-level data from the ECS with community stakeholders and ECS participants. Aligned with a precision medicine approach, the Yale-TCC seeks also to merge publicly available population-level, health-related contextual data (such as social determinants of health, environmental data, or others) with biological, clinical and health-related data from the ECS participants.…”

BMI Perception: A potential cheap alternative to objectively measured BMI?

“…There are fewer studies of weight perception conducted on adults. A simple Google Scholar search of titles for "weight perception" or "weight misperception" in adults, since 2015, yielded just eight relevant articles [15,[21][22][23][24][25][26][27]. There are no studies extant on BMI perception.…”