Gender differences in body weight perception and weight management strategies among undergraduates in Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), Kampar

• Main Author: Yap, Yee Von
• Format: Final Year Project / Dissertation / Thesis
• Published: 2023
• Subjects: QM Human anatomy; RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine
• Online Access: http://eprints.utar.edu.my/6161/1/DT_2023_2100086_YAP_YEE_VON.pdf; http://eprints.utar.edu.my/6161/
• Institution: Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman

In recent years, obesity rates have been on the rise in Asian countries, notably in Malaysia which is linked with poor body weight perception. Their study also uncovered that Malaysian university students experienced weight gain during the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring the importance of understanding body weight perception (BWP) and weight management practices (WMS) among this demographic. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to identify gender differences in body weight perception and weight management strategies among undergraduates at UTAR, Kampar. A total of 261 eligible UTAR undergraduates were recruited using convenience sampling. Participants' body weight and height were measured by using OMRON weighing scale and SECA stadiometer, respectively and they completed an online questionnaire. The study employed various statistical tests, including the Chi-square test to examine associations between sociodemographic factors and BWP, the Mann-Whitney U test to assess gender differences in BMI and WMS, and comparisons between the categories of accurate and inaccurate BWP. The results revealed several significant findings. Accuracy in body weight perception was associated with gender (p = 0.002), field of study (p = 0.014), year of study (p = 0.049), and exposure to iii nutrition-related courses (p = 0.036). Male students had a significantly higher BMI than female students (p < 0.01), both of whom generally had normal BMI values. There was a fair agreement between measured BMI and self-estimated BMI category for males (κ = 0.354, p < 0.01) and a moderate agreement for female (κ = 0.492, p < 0.01). Additionally, males were more likely to engage in physical activity than females (p < 0.01). However, both genders demonstrated poor weight management strategies. There was no significant different between WMS among accurate body weight perception (ABWP) and inaccurate body weight perception (IBWP) groups. These findings have important implications for potential interventions, and further studies can be conducted to explore these factors in more depth