PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - M L Garmendia
AU  - F Alonso
AU  - J Kain
AU  - C Corvalan
AU  - M de Aguirre
AU  - J Searle
TI  - P2-95 Obesity increases 28% in 3 years in premenopausal low-income Chilean women independently of body size misperception
AID  - 10.1136/jech.2011.142976i.30
DP  - 2011 Aug 01
TA  - Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
PG  - A246--A246
VI  - 65
IP  - Suppl 1
4099  - http://jech.bmj.com/content/65/Suppl_1/A246.2.short
4100  - http://jech.bmj.com/content/65/Suppl_1/A246.2.full
SO  - J Epidemiol Community Health2011 Aug 01; 65
AB  - Introduction How body image perception (BIP) influences changes in Body Mass Index (BMI) in adult women has not been evaluated.Objective To assess BMI-changes over a 3-year period and their relationship with BIP in a Chilean women population-based cohort.Methods Weight and height were measured at baseline (32.0±7.0 y) and at follow-up in 510 women participants in the GOCS study. BMI was used to classify women in normal (≤25 kg/m2), overweight (>25 kg/m2), or obese (>30 kg/m2). BIP was self-assessed at baseline using the Stunkard Figure Rating Scale (nine figures from very thin to very obese). BIP-discrepancy was defined as the disagreement between measured-BMI and assigned-BMI of the selected figure (defined on a previous validation study). Multivariate linear regression was used to assess the influence of BIP on BMI-changes stratifying by nutritional status and controlling for potential confounders (ie, parity, schooling, age).Results At baseline, 61% had excess weight (37% overweight and 24% obese). In 3 years, this number increased to 70% (38% overweight and 31% obese). One out of 4 increased their BMI category, particularly normal women (28.9% from normal to overweight and 22.5% from overweight to obesity). At baseline, BIP-discrepancy was 66% and was associated to concurrent BMI only in obese (p-for-interaction <0.05; coefficientall sample=0.48; 95% CI −0.49 to 1.45; coefficientobese=1.65, 95% CI 0.03 to 3.28). BIP-discrepancy was unrelated to the 3-year changes in BMI (p-for-interaction >0.05, coefficient =−0.45, 95% CI −0.95 to 0.04).Conclusion In 3 years we observe a large BMI increase among young women of a post-transitional country. Body size misperception does not explain this large increase. Population strategies are needed to stop this detrimental trend.