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- Title
THE EXPERIENCE OF WEIGHT STIGMA IN ADULTS AND ITS RELATIONS WITH MENTAL HEALTH.
- Authors
SESKEVICIUTE, Aiste; MARTINAITIENE, Dalia
- Abstract
Introduction. Research shows that weight stigma is a chronic stressor for many people and a significant social determinant of health, causing adverse health consequences, hindering efforts to improve well-being, and potentially increasing the risk of obesogenic behaviors. Aim. To assess the weight stigma experienced by overweight or obese adults and its relations with mental health. Methods. The study was conducted in February and March 2023 through an anonymous, voluntary online survey on social media. The study included respondents who were overweight or obese (n = 202, 86.1% females, with an average age of 33 ± 9 years). The frequency of weight stigma experiences was assessed using the Stigmatizing Situations Inventory-Brief (SSI-B). To assess the subjective opinion of experiencing weight stigma, the respondents were asked one question: “Do you feel stigmatized because of your body weight?” with possible answers of “yes” or “no”. The respondents’ mental health was assessed using the short version of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-4). Results. Only four percent (n = 8) of respondents indicated that they had never experienced weight stigma in their lives. In contrast, the remaining 96% of the respondents have experienced weight stigma at least once in their lives (n = 194). One in two respondents (55.4%) reported feeling weight stigma, and this was more commonly felt by women than men (59.8% and 28.6%, respectively, p < 0.002) and individuals younger than 25 years old (p = 0.023). Respondents who reported feeling weight stigma were three times more likely to have anxiety (OR = 3.08; 95% CI 1.47–6.47; p < 0.003) and depression (OR = 3.34; 95% CI 1.55–7.21; p < 0.002) symptoms. Moreover, a more frequent experience of weight stigma increased the likelihood of having both anxiety (OR = 1.65; 95% CI 1.24–2.19; p < 0.001) and depression symptoms (OR = 1.74; 95% CI 1.27–2.37; p < 0.001) by more than 1.5 times. Conclusion. The study results revealed that weight stigma is a common phenomenon in our society, and experiencing it has a negative impact on an individual’s mental health.
- Subjects
DISCRIMINATION against overweight persons; APPEARANCE discrimination; MENTAL health; HEALTH behavior; SOCIAL determinants of health; ADULTS
- Publication
Biological Psychiatry & Psychopharmacology / Biologinė Psichiatrija ir Psichofarmakologija, 2023, Vol 25, Issue 2, p68
- ISSN
1648-293X
- Publication type
Article