Table 1.
Sociodemographic characteristics, self-perceptions of weight, and percentages of weight-control behaviors over the previous 12 months of the participants according to weight status.
| Characteristics | Normal | Overweight | Obese | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (N = 4839) | (N = 2068) | (N = 1677) | ||
| Age, mean (SD) | 47.6 (17.6) | 58.8 (14.2) | 62.4 (13.3) | <0.001 |
| Age group, N (%) | ||||
| 19–39 | 1865 (38.5%) | 226 (10.9%) | 138 (8.2%) | <0.001 |
| 40–59 | 1536 (31.7%) | 715 (34.6%) | 413 (24.6%) | |
| 60–69 | 685 (14.2%) | 564 (27.3%) | 488 (29.1%) | |
| 70–79 | 753 (15.6%) | 563 (27.2%) | 638 (38.0%) | |
| Residential area, N (%) | ||||
| Urban | 3859 (79.7%) | 1624 (78.5%) | 1351 (80.6%) | 0.290 |
| Rural | 980 (20.3%) | 444 (21.5%) | 326 (19.4%) | |
| Education, N (%) | ||||
| ≤Elementary school | 717 (14.8%) | 554 (26.8%) | 612 (36.5%) | <0.001 |
| Middle school | 473 (9.8%) | 377 (18.2%) | 368 (21.9%) | |
| High school | 1493 (30.9%) | 760 (36.8%) | 509 (30.4%) | |
| College or more | 2156 (44.6%) | 377 (18.2%) | 188 (11.2%) | |
| Marital status, N (%) | ||||
| Single | 1163 (24.0%) | 113 (5.5%) | 55 (3.3%) | <0.001 |
| Cohabitant | 3078 (63.6%) | 1579 (76.4%) | 1227 (73.2%) | |
| Divorced or widow | 598 (12.4%) | 376 (18.2%) | 395 (23.6%) | |
| Household income, N (%) | ||||
| <2,000$/month | 951 (19.7%) | 647 (31.3%) | 686 (40.9%) | <0.001 |
| 2,000–3,999$/month | 1956 (40.4%) | 866 (41.9%) | 628 (37.4%) | |
| ≥4,000$/month | 1932 (39.9%) | 555 (26.8%) | 363 (21.6%) | |
| Smoking, N (%) | ||||
| Never | 4562 (94.3%) | 1985 (96.0%) | 1594 (95.1%) | 0.012 |
| Ever | 277 (5.7%) | 83 (4.0%) | 83 (4.9%) | |
| Drinking, N (%) | ||||
| Never | 1058 (21.9%) | 501 (24.2%) | 433 (25.8%) | 0.002 |
| Ever | 3781 (78.1%) | 1567 (75.8%) | 1244 (74.2%) | |
| Perceived health status, N (%) | ||||
| Healthy | 2847 (58.8%) | 923 (44.6%) | 607 (36.2%) | <0.001 |
| Normal | 1423 (29.4%) | 752 (36.4%) | 662 (39.5%) | |
| Unhealthy | 569 (11.8%) | 393 (19.0%) | 408 (24.3%) | |
| Perceived weight | ||||
| Underweight | 620 (12.8%) | 28 (1.4%) | 6 (0.4%) | <0.001 |
| Right weight | 3352 (69.3%) | 889 (43.0%) | 285 (17.0%) | |
| Overweight | 734 (15.2%) | 1101 (53.2%) | 1117 (66.6%) | |
| Obese | 133 (2.7%) | 50 (2.4%) | 269 (16.0%) | |
| Accuracy of weight perception | ||||
| Underassessment | 620 (12.8%) | 917 (44.3%) | 291 (17.4%) | <0.001 |
| Accurate assessment | 3352 (69.3%) | 1101 (53.2%) | 1386 (82.6%) | |
| Overassessment | 867 (17.9%) | 50 (2.4%) | — | |
| Attempts at weight control | ||||
| Trying to lose weight | 1104 (22.8%) | 714 (34.5%) | 693 (41.3%) | <0.001 |
| Trying to maintain weight | 974 (20.1%) | 349 (16.9%) | 203 (12.1%) | |
| Trying to gain weight | 74 (1.5%) | 17 (0.8%) | 9 (0.5%) | |
| Not trying to change or keep | 2687 (55.5%) | 988 (47.8%) | 772 (46.0%) | |