Obesity, Public Attitude Toward Government-Funded Obesity Prevention, and Psychological Distress: A Cross-Level Interaction Analysis of 26 Countries
Journal
Journal of Population Studies
Journal Issue
57
Pages
41
Date Issued
2018-12-01
Author(s)
Duan-Rung Chen
Elise Chia-Hui Tan
Abstract
Obesity has become a major health issue in industrialized and
developing countries. Obese people are stigmatized for social and health
reasons. This study examined obesity, public attitudes toward governmentfunded obesity prevention, and psychological distress in 26 countries. The
following three issues were examined: (1) whether obese people experienced
more psychological distress, and whether the association is stronger in
countries where public attitude favoring government-funded obesity
prevention; (2) whether perceived social status moderated the negative
association between obesity and psychological distress; and (3) whether
there was a gender-specific association between obesity and psychological
distress, as well as whether women experience more psychological
distress than men in countries where public attitude was toward favoring
government-funded obesity prevention. The data were obtained from the
health module of the 2011 International Social Survey Program. A total of
23,811 adults aged 18 to 64 years in 26 countries across Europe and Asia
were included in the study. Multilevel analyses were conducted. The results
revealed that obese people in countries where public attitude was toward
favoring government-funded obesity prevention exhibited an elevated risk
of psychological distress, yet when stratifying by gender, the effect was
only significant in women. Perceived high social status moderated the
negative effects of obesity on psychological distress, and the modification
was significant only for obese women. Future research should explore the
consequences, expected and unexpected, of obesity reduction campaigns
and policies for preventing obesity in different countries.
Subjects
obesity, psychological distress, obesity prevention, international comparison
SDGs
Type
journal article