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Weight management behaviors in a sample of Iranian adolescent girls

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Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Attempts to obtain the ideal body shape portrayed in advertising can result in behaviors that lead to an unhealthy reduction in weight. This study was designed to identify contributing factors that may be effective in changing the behavior of a sample of Iranian adolescents.

Methods

Three hundred fifty adolescent girls from high schools in Kerman, Iran participated in a cross-sectional study based on a self-administered questionnaire. Multifactorial logistic regression modeling was used to identify the factors influencing each of the contributing factors for body management methods, and a decision tree model was constructed to identify individuals who were more or less likely to change their body shape.

Results

Approximately one-third of the adolescent girls had attempted dieting, and 37 % of them had exercised to lose weight. The logistic regression model showed that pressure from their mother and the media; father’s education level; and body mass index (BMI) were important factors in dieting. BMI and perceived pressure from the media were risk factors for attempting exercise.

Conclusions

BMI and perceived pressure from relatives, particularly mothers, and the media were important factors in attempts by adolescent girls to lose weight.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by financial support of Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences. We would appreciate to thank all students and their parents that participated in this study and their cooperation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Social Sciences Department, Literature & Human Sciences School, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran

    S. Garousi

  2. Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box: 444, Kerman, Iran

    B. Garrusi

  3. Department of Biostatistics, Research Center for Modeling in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Islamic Republic of Iran

    Mohammad Reza Baneshi

  4. Department of Social Sciences, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Islamic Republic of Iran

    Z. Sharifi

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  1. S. Garousi
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  2. B. Garrusi
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  4. Z. Sharifi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to B. Garrusi.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All steps of this study were approved by Ethical Committee of Kerman Medical Sciences University that based on Declaration of Helsinki and International Conference Harmonisation/good Clinical Practice guidelines and its amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was signed by all participants in this study.

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Garousi, S., Garrusi, B., Baneshi, M.R. et al. Weight management behaviors in a sample of Iranian adolescent girls. Eat Weight Disord 21, 435–444 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-015-0249-1

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