Weight Changes and Self-Rated Health in Women
Author Information
Author(s): Simonsen Mette K, Hundrup Yrsa A, Grønbæk Morten, Heitmann Berit L
Primary Institution: Research Unit for Dietary Studies, Institute of Preventive Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Copenhagen, Denmark
Hypothesis
Overweight women who become normal weight would rate their health better than women who were constantly overweight.
Conclusion
Weight changes may result in lower self-rated health, and poor self-rated health at baseline seems to predict an increase in weight among women.
Supporting Evidence
- Women who gained weight had higher odds of reporting poorer self-rated health.
- Weight loss among overweight women did not improve self-rated health ratings.
- Poor self-rated health at baseline was associated with higher odds of later weight gain.
Takeaway
If women gain weight, they often feel worse about their health, and if they start off feeling unhealthy, they might gain more weight later.
Methodology
The study used logistic regression analyses to examine the association between weight changes and changes in self-rated health over a 6-year period.
Potential Biases
Potential confounding factors and self-reporting bias may affect the validity of the results.
Limitations
Self-reported data may lead to underreporting of weight and potential misclassification bias.
Participant Demographics
The study included 13,684 female nurses aged 44 to 69 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.0019
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 1.10–1.51
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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