Hygiena 2014, 59(2):60-63 | DOI: 10.21101/hygiena.a1241

Different Perception of Obesity from Men and Women Perspective - a Pilot Study

Renata Švecová¹, Jana Langmajerová², Dana Müllerová²

¹ Západočeská univerzita v Plzni, Fakulta zdravotnických studií, Plzeň

² Univerzita Karlova, Lékařská fakulta v Plzni, Ústav hygieny a preventivní medicíny, Plzeň

Sufficient motivation, right knowledge, and appropriate circumstances are the key players for healthy behaviour prone to prevent obesity and its' comorbidities from an individual's perspective. The aim of this cross-sectional pilot study was to detect the temporary state of obesity problems' perception in adult women and men. The Questionnaire - concerning perception of obesity, discrimination because of obesity, knowledge of obesity prevention and individual behaviour together with self-monitored data about body weight and body height - was developed and administered to a randomly selected sample of 276 adult women and men. The respondent rate was 87% (141 men and 135 women). The study confirms the different approach in the perception of obesity as a disease in men and women (p < 0.001) with a disadvantage for men. The women, against the fact, and probably as well, because of the fact, that they feel discrimination because of obesity in higher proportion, show a lower representation of obesity and overweight in comparison to men. The women as well show a higher level of knowledge about obesity and controlled behaviour in the area of nutrition, and show a higher reflection of advice by health care professionals. Almost one-half of addressed men and one-third of these women did not know where they should achieve the right information about obesity treatment. The rest of the sample identified the internet as their main source of information. Almost 77% of the overweight and obese did not do physical activity regularly and only 37% of them at least, in part, agreed with the affirmation that obesity is caused by lack of physical activity. In conclusion: There were detected gender based differences in perception of body weight, sources of information, and preferred mechanisms of body weight control, which should be taken into account in the proposal of obesity prevention strategies.

Keywords: obesity prevention, obesity perception, females, males

Received: April 2013; Accepted: June 14, 2013; Published: June 1, 2014  Show citation