[Experience of weight loss and its related factors of thin females who still wished to lose weight among junior high school students].

Abstract

This study was aimed at clarifying the experience of weight loss and its related factors of thin females who still wished to lose weight among junior high school students. The subjects were 1,302 males and females in the second and third grades in 17 junior high schools in A area in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. The anonymous self-administered questionnaire included items on attributes, items relevant to weight loss, lifestyle, subjective symptoms, and items relevant to stress. A logistic regression analysis (likelihood ratio) was used with the question items showing a statistically significant difference when comparing the two groups as independent variables to identify the factors related to the experience of weight loss. There were 1,168 respondents (response rate, 89.7%). Eighty females who were less than -10% of the standard for obesity, but who still wished to lose weight, were selected from among 544 females. They were divided into two groups: those who had experienced losing weight (N=31, dieting group) and those who had never experienced losing weight (N=49, nondieting group). Between the two groups, there was a statistically significant difference in eight question items. The logistic regression analysis showed that believing oneself to be heavy by self-assessment, going to bed after midnight, and a short attention span were factors related to the experience of losing weight. Forty percent of the thin females who still wished to lose weight experienced weight loss. Distortion in the self-assessment of one's figure, inappropriate lifestyle, and subjective symptoms were designated as related factors.