Table 4.

Associations of weight management practices with weight status and weight perception among 902 Chinese female college students participating in Wave 2 of the China Seven Cities Study^a

		Dietingb			Physical activityc			Fastingd		Other extreme methodse
	OR	95% CI	p	OR	95% CI	p	OR	95% CI	p	OR	95% CI	p
Actual weight status
Normal/Underweight	Ref			Ref			Ref			Ref
Overweight	2.04	1.42-2.93	0.0001	1.62	1.10-2.39	0.015	1.65	1.00-2.70	.05	3.02	1.48-6.18	0.0025
Self-perception of weight status
Not overweight	Ref			Ref			Ref			Ref
Overweight	3.06	2.26-4.15	<0.0001	2.24	1.6-3.14	<0.0001	3.33	2.04-5.43	<0.0001	5.19	2.07-13.07	0.0005
Misperception of weight status
Not overweight	Ref			Ref			Ref			Ref
Overweight	3.15	2.31-4.30	<0.0001	2.19	1.55-3.09	<0.0001	3.23	1.97-5.30	<0.0001	4.99	1.97-12.68	0.0007

^aAll models were adjusted for age and city of residence; models for Self-perception of weight status and Misperception of weight status were additionally adjusted for actual overweight status. In each logistic regression model, weight status and/or perception were independent variables, and weight management practices (i.e. dieting, physical activity, fasting and other extreme methods) were dependent variables.

^bDefined as eating little staple food and avoiding high fat or energy foods.

^cDefined as breathing hard and sweating for >20 minutes while bicycling, jogging, walking fast, dancing, or doing other exercise or hard labor; variable was dichotomized into Yes (≥3 times per week) and No (<3 times per week).

^dDefined as skipping meals.

^eDefined as inducing vomiting, using laxatives or diuretics, taking diet pills or other functional foods or supplements, or smoking cigarettes.