Predictors of Low-income, Obese Mothers' Use of Healthful Weight Management Behaviors

• Published in: Journal of nutrition education and behavior Vol. 43; no. 2; pp. 87 - 95
• Main Authors: Chang, Mei-Wei, PhD, RN, Nitzke, Susan, PhD, RD, Brown, Roger, PhD, Baumann, Linda, PhD, RN
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.03.2011; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Behavior Change; Body Weight; Case Studies; celebrations; children; Choice Behavior; Cluster Analysis; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diet, Reducing; Eating Habits; emotions; Environment; environmental factors; Environmental Influences; Female; Females; Food; food and nutrition programs; food choices; foods; Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Health Behavior; Health Promotion; Humans; infants; ingestion; Internal Medicine; Logistic Models; logit analysis; Low Income; Low income groups; Mothers; Multivariate Analysis; Nutrition; Obesity; Obesity - psychology; Obesity - therapy; odds ratio; Poverty; Predictive Value of Tests; Predictor Variables; Psychological Patterns; Public Assistance; Questionnaires; Self Efficacy; Surveys and Questionnaires; Weight control; weight management; Wisconsin; women; Womens health; Young Adult; Wisconsin; weight management; obesity; low-income; women
• ISSN: 1499-4046; 1878-2620; 1708-8259
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jneb.2009.11.006

Abstract Objective To examine the influence of personal and environmental factors on healthful weight management behaviors mediated through self-efficacy among low-income obese mothers. Design Cross-sectional design. Setting Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children in Wisconsin. Participants Two hundred eighty-four obese mothers aged 18-34 years. Main Outcome Measures Personal factors (eg, eating low-fat/low-calorie food for weight management), environmental factors, self-efficacy, and weight management behaviors. Data were collected via self-administered written questionnaires. Analysis Latent class cluster analysis and structural logistic regression. Results Women who perceived more importance of eating low-fat/low-calorie food for weight management were more likely to practice multiple behavioral strategies to manage their weight (odds ratio = 0.37) than women who perceived less importance of eating low-fat/low-calorie food for weight management. Women who reported higher positive mood self-efficacy were more likely (odds ratio = 1.63) to practice multiple strategies to manage their weight than women who reported lower positive mood self-efficacy. Environmental factors did not predict use of multiple healthful weight management behaviors. No mediation effect was found. Conclusions and Implications Stressing the importance of food choices and reinforcing learners' self-confidence to make healthful choices at parties and celebrations may be helpful ways to address common barriers to healthful weight management.