Gender differences in predictors of body weight and body weight change in healthy adults
Authors
Chiriboga, David E.Ma, Yunsheng
Li, Wenjun
Olendzki, Barbara C.
Pagoto, Sherry L.
Merriam, Philip A.
Matthews, Charles E.
Hebert, James R.
Ockene, Ira S.
UMass Chan Affiliations
Clinical and Population Health Research ProgramDepartment of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine
Department of Medicine, Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine
Document Type
Journal ArticlePublication Date
2008-01-29Keywords
Adult*Body Weight
Cross-Sectional Studies
Demography
Female
Humans
Life Style
Linear Models
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Middle Aged
Predictive Value of Tests
Psychology
*Sex Characteristics
*Weight Gain
Behavioral Disciplines and Activities
Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms
Community Health and Preventive Medicine
Preventive Medicine
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
BACKGROUND: Overweight and obesity are important predictors of a wide variety of health problems. Analysis of naturally occurring changes in body weight can provide valuable insights in improving our understanding of the influence of demographic, lifestyle, and psychosocial factors on weight gain in middle-age adults. OBJECTIVE: To identify gender-specific predictors of body weight using cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Anthropometric, lifestyle and psychosocial factors were measured at baseline and then quarterly for 1 year in 572 healthy adult volunteers from Central Massachusetts who were recruited between 1994 and 1998. Linear mixed models were used to analyze the relationship between body weight and potential predictors, including demographic (e.g., age, educational level), lifestyle (e.g., diet, physical activity, smoking), and psychosocial (e.g., anxiety, depression) factors. RESULTS: Over the 1-year study period, on average, men gained 0.3 kg and women lost 0.2 kg. Predictors of lower body weight at baseline in both men and women included current cigarette smoking, greater leisure-time physical activity, and lower depression and anxiety scores. Lower body weights were associated with a lower percentage of caloric intake from protein and greater occupational physical activity levels only among men; and with higher education level only among women. Longitudinal predictors of 1-year weight gain among women included increased total caloric intake and decreased leisure-time physical activity, and among men, greater anxiety scores. DISCUSSION: Demographic, lifestyle and psychosocial factors are independently related to naturally occurring changes in body weight and have marked differential gender effects. These effects should be taken into consideration when designing interventions for weight-loss and maintenance at the individual and population levels.Source
Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008 Jan;16(1):137-45. Link to article on publisher's siteDOI
10.1038/oby.2007.38Permanent Link to this Item
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14038/44945PubMed ID
18223626Related Resources
Link to Article in PubMedae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1038/oby.2007.38