Self-Weighing Behaviors of Diverse Community-Dwelling Adults Motivated for a Lifestyle Change

Yoshimi Fukuoka and Yoo-Jung Oh
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Yoshimi Fukuoka: Department of Physiological Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
Yoo-Jung Oh: Department of Communication, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 9, 1-9

Abstract: We aimed to understand adults’ self-weighing behaviors and explore significant predictors of body mass index (BMI) accuracy based on self-reported height and weight in a diverse sample of community-dwelling adults. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 531 adults participating in a physical activity program or a weight loss program were analyzed. Participants’ self-reported and objectively measured weight, height, weight scale ownership, self-weighing behaviors, and medical history were collected. Results: The mean age (standard deviation) was 50.0 (12.0) years with a range of 24 to 78 years. Out of 531 participants, 455 (85.7%) were women. The study population was diverse (58.9% non-White). In total, 409 (77.0%) participants had a weight scale at home, but only 222 (41.8%) weighed themselves at least once a week. The weight and BMI underestimation became much more significant as the participant’s weight increased ( p ≤ 0.001). Employment status, high cholesterol, and low objectively measured weight were significant predictors of self-reported BMI accuracy after controlling for potential confounding factors ( p < 0.05). Interestingly, ownership of a home weight scale and the frequency of self-weighing behavior were not significantly associated with the accuracy of self-reported BMI ( p > 0.05). Conclusion: The accuracy of the participants’ BMI, based on self-reported height and weight, was significantly associated with employment status, high cholesterol, and low objectively measured weight, suggesting that BMI accuracy depends on multi factors.

Keywords: body mass index; obesity; self-monitoring; self-report; anthropometric measurements; self-weighing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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