Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Examining The Pathways Linking Chronic Sleep Restriction To Obesity, Christopher A. Magee, Xu-Feng Huang, Donald C. Iverson, Peter Caputi

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

A growing number of studies have identified chronic sleep restriction as a potential risk factor for obesity. This could have important implications for how obesity is prevented and managed, but current understanding of the processes linking chronic sleep restriction to obesity is incomplete. In this paper, we examined some of the pathways that could underlie the relationship between chronic sleep restriction and obesity. This involved exploring some of the potential environmental, health, behavioral, and sociodemographic determinants of chronic sleep restriction, which require further investigation in this context. Three pathways that could potentially link chronic sleep restriction to obesity were then …

Sleep Duration And Obesity In Middle-Aged Australian Adults, Christopher A. Magee, Donald C. Iverson, Peter Caputi

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The present study examined the association between sleep duration and obesity in 40,834 middle-aged Australian adults. Multinomial logistic regression was used to test the relationship between sleep duration and obesity while controlling for important demographic and health covariates; separate models were tested for males and females. Short sleep (i.e., <7 h a night) was found to be independently associated with obesity in males and females. To our knowledge, this is the first study to report an association between short sleep and obesity in Australian adults. Although more research is required, interventions targeting short sleep could aid obesity treatment and prevention.

Is Sleep Duration Associated With Obesity In Older Australian Adults?, Christopher A. Magee, Peter Caputi, Don C. Iverson

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between sleep duration and obesity in older Australian adults. Method: Self-reported health data were collected through the 45 and Up Study. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to test the relationship between sleep duration and body mass index, controlling for a range of demographic and health-related variables. Results: The sample included 45,325 Australian adults aged 55 to 95 years. The regression models demonstrated that short and long sleep were associated with obesity in 55- to 64-year-olds but not in those aged 65 years and above. Discussion: The present results suggest that the relationships between sleep …

Do Health Beliefs And Behaviors Differ According To Severity Of Obesity? A Qualitative Study Of Australian Adults, Sophie Lewis, Samantha L. Thomas, R. Warwick Blood, Jim Hyde, David J. Castle, Paul A. Komesaroff

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Public responses to obesity have focused on providing standardized messages and supports to all obese individuals, but there is limited understanding of the impact of these messages on obese adults. This descriptive qualitative study using in-depth interviews and a thematic method of analysis, compares the health beliefs and behaviors of 141 Australian adults with mild to moderate (BMI 30−39.9) and severe (BMI ≥ 40) obesity. Mildly obese individuals felt little need to change their health behaviors or to lose weight for health reasons. Most believed they could “lose weight” if they needed to, distanced themselves from the word obesity, and …

"I Don't Eat A Hamburger And Large Chips Every Day!" A Qualitative Study Of The Impact Of Public Health Messages About Obesity On Obese Adults, Sophie Lewis, Samantha L. Thomas, Jim Hyde, David Castle, R. Warwick Blood, Paul A. Komesaroff

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background We are a society that is fixated on the health consequences of 'being fat'. Public health agencies play an important role in 'alerting' people about the risks that obesity poses both to individuals and to the broader society. Quantitative studies suggest people comprehend the physical health risks involved but underestimate their own risk because they do not recognise that they are obese. Methods This qualitative study seeks to expand on existing research by exploring obese individuals' perceptions of public health messages about risk, how they apply these messages to themselves and how their personal and social contexts and experiences …

On Being 'Fat': Obese And Overweight Australians Respond To News Depictions Of Obesity And Overweight, Richard Warwick Blood, Kate Holland, Samantha Thomas, Asuntha Karunaratne, Sophie Lewis

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

There is scarce research into the ways in which overweight and obese people interpret news media coverage of obesity and the so called obesity epidemic. This paper reports on a qualitative study using a purposive sample of 152 overweight, obese and morbidly obese people living in Melbourne, Australia. Most participants felt the news tended to portray them in negative and stereotypical ways. Characteristic portrayals identified by participants included obese and overweight people as: morally irresponsible and a burden on society; objects of ridicule and derision; and the subject of dehumanising images. Participants were highly reflexive and their personal experience as …

The Relationship Of Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Birth Weight And Parental Bmi On Adolescents Obesity Status, Susana Vale, Rute Santos, Luisa Soares-Miranda, Jorge Mota

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background/Objectives:

The aims of this study were as follows: (1) to analyze differences in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), parents’ body mass index (BMI) and birth weight (BW) between non-overweight (NOW) and overweight/obese (OV/OB) adolescents, and (2) to investigate the association of those variables with the risk of their biological offspring being OV/OB.

Subjects/Methods:

This study comprised 788 adolescents (477 girls and 311 boys), aged between 12 and 18 years. CRF was predicted by maximal multistage 20-m shuttle-run test according to the procedures described in FITNESSGRAM. Children's BMI was classified according to the International Obesity Task Force. Adolescents’ BW was assessed from …

"The Solution Needs To Be Complex." Obese Adults' Attitudes About The Effectiveness Of Individual And Population Based Interventions For Obesity, Samantha L. Thomas, Sophie Lewis, Jim Hyde, David Castle, Paul Komesaroff

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Previous studies of public perceptions of obesity interventions have been quantitative and based on general population surveys. This study aims to explore the opinions and attitudes of obese individuals towards population and individual interventions for obesity in Australia.

Methods: Qualitative methods using in-depth semi-structured telephone interviews with a community sample of obese adults (Body Mass Index ≥30). Theoretical, purposive and strategic recruitment techniques were used to ensure a broad sample of obese individuals with different types of experiences with their obesity. Participants were asked about their attitudes towards three population based interventions (regulation, media campaigns, and public …