Body image and body satisfaction differ by race in overweight postpartum mothers.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Body image (BI) and body satisfaction may be important in understanding
weight loss behaviors, particularly during the postpartum period. We assessed these
constructs among African American and white overweight postpartum women. METHODS:
The sample included 162 women (73 African American and 89 white) in the intervention
arm 6 months into the Active Mothers Postpartum (AMP) Study, a nutritional and physical
activity weight loss intervention. BIs, self-reported using the Stunkard figure rating
scale, were compared assessing mean values by race. Body satisfaction was measured
using body discrepancy (BD), calculated as perceived current image minus ideal image
(BD<0: desire to be heavier; BD>0: desire to be lighter). BD was assessed by race
for: BD(Ideal) (current image minus the ideal image) and BD(Ideal Mother) (current
image minus ideal mother image). RESULTS: Compared with white women, African American
women were younger and were less likely to report being married, having any college
education, or residing in households with annual incomes >$30,000 (all p < 0.01).
They also had a higher mean body mass index (BMI) (p = 0.04), although perceived current
BI did not differ by race (p = 0.21). African Americans had higher mean ideal (p =
0.07) and ideal mother (p = 0.001) BIs compared with whites. African Americans' mean
BDs (adjusting for age, BMI, education, income, marital status, and interaction terms)
were significantly lower than those of whites, indicating greater body satisfaction
among African Americans (BD(Ideal): 1.7 vs. 2.3, p = 0.005; BD(Ideal Mother): 1.1
vs. 1.8, p = 0.0002). CONCLUSIONS: Racial differences exist in postpartum weight,
ideal images, and body satisfaction. Healthcare providers should consider tailored
messaging that accounts for these racially different perceptions and factors when
designing weight loss programs for overweight mothers.
Type
Journal articleSubject
AdultAfrican Americans
Body Image
Educational Status
European Continental Ancestry Group
Female
Humans
Income
Mothers
North Carolina
Overweight
Personal Satisfaction
Postpartum Period
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/3243Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1089/jwh.2008.1238Publication Info
Carter-Edwards, Lori; Bastian, Lori A; Revels, Jessica; Durham, Holiday; Lokhnygina,
Yuliya; Amamoo, M Ahinee; & Ostbye, Truls (2010). Body image and body satisfaction differ by race in overweight postpartum mothers.
J Womens Health (Larchmt), 19(2). pp. 305-311. 10.1089/jwh.2008.1238. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/3243.This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this
article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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Show full item recordScholars@Duke
Yuliya Vladimirovna Lokhnygina
Associate Professor of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics
Statistical methods in clinical trials, survival analysis, adaptive designs, adaptive
treatment strategies, causal inference in observational studies, semiparametric inference
Truls Ostbye
Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health
Chronic disease epidemiology; obesity; health services research; population health;
public health; social medicine; health information systems; health surveys; programme
evaluation; clinical trials; aging; nutrition; dementia; Global Health
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