Journal
CLINICAL NURSING RESEARCH
Volume 26, Issue 2, Pages 191-204Publisher
SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC
DOI: 10.1177/1054773815606693
Keywords
weight beliefs; overweight; obesity; African American women
Categories
Funding
- Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing Lambda Chapter Research Grant Award
- Wayne State University College of Nursing and Graduate School Dissertation Research Support
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The rate of obesity within the United States is dropping, yet the prevalence of obesity among young African American women continues to increase. This increase, in part, may be attributable to weight beliefs. The relationship between beliefs about personal weight and body mass index (BMI) was examined among 150 African American women, 18 to 40 years of age using weight descriptive characteristics, causal attributions, consequences, and calculated BMI. Key results show that the majority of participants described their weight as attractive, healthy, and normal despite a sample mean BMI in the obese category. Key beliefs about the causes of personal weight that were associated and predictive of BMI were unhealthy eating behaviors, limited physical activity, weight left from pregnancy, and not knowing how to maintain a healthy weight. Beliefs about the consequences of personal weight were not predictive of BMI. A discussion of study findings provides important implications for clinical practice.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available