Inherited or Behavior? What Causal Beliefs about Obesity Are Associated with Weight Perceptions and Decisions to Lose Weight in a US Sample?
Table 2
Multinomial regressions comparing participants in different weight classes’ demographics, beliefs about obesity, and recommendations for fruits, vegetables, and physical activity.
Overweight versus underweight
Overweight versus just right
Overweight versus slightly overweight
OR [95% CI]
OR [95% CI]
OR [95% CI]
Age
.97 [.95–.98]
<.001
.98 [.97–.98]
<.001
.99 [.98–.99]
<.001
Gender
.36 [.25–.52]
<.001
.55 [.45–.66]
<.001
.62 [.53–.73]
<.001
Race (White = ref)
Hispanic
1.21 [.61–2.39]
.589
1.08 [.75–1.55]
.695
1.13 [.82–1.55]
.470
Black
1.36 [.75–2.49]
.313
.78 [.56–1.09]
.152
.81 [.61–.78]
.139
Asian
10.08 [4.48–22.68]
<.001
5.39 [2.88–10.09]
<.001
2.21 [1.17–4.16]
.014
Other
.50 [.12–2.15]
.351
.83 [.48–1.44]
.502
1.06 [.69–1.65]
.782
Education (college graduate = ref)
<High school
1.77 [.72–4.32]
.212
.82 [.45–1.49]
.509
.99 [.60–1.61]
.953
High school graduate
.83 [.48–1.44]
.513
.81 [.63–1.04]
.096
.61 [.49–.76]
<.001
Some college
.94 [.61–1.43]
.767
.74 [.60–.90]
.003
.79 [.66–.94]
.007
Internet information-seeking
.41 [.27–.61]
<.001
.46 [.39–.56]
<.001
.66 [.57–.78]
<.001
Perceived health
1.95 [1.57–2.43]
<.001
2.93 [2.62–3.27]
<.001
1.86 [1.70–2.04]
<.001
Obesity-inherited
.77 [.62–.95]
.015
.80 [.72–.89]
<.001
.87 [.79–.96]
.005
Obesity-behavior
.88 [.64–1.21]
.428
1.00 [.85–1.18]
.959
.98 [.85–1.13]
.782
Mixed messages
.89 [.75–.1.06]
.183
.93 [.86–1.01]
.097
1.05 [.98–1.13]
.179
Recommended F and V (5–9 = ref)
<Recommended
1.93 [1.28–2.92]
.002
1.50 [1.25–1.81]
<.001
1.58 [1.35–1.86]
<.001
>Recommended
2.95 [1.45–6.00]
.003
1.23 [.81–1.85]
.336
.86 [.58–1.27]
.448
Recommended PA (150 min = ref)
None
5.41 [.91–32.06]
.063
.90 [.21–3.86]
.890
1.43 [.48–4.25]
.517
<Recommended
1.67 [.87–3.21]
.122
1.16 [.90–1.48]
.257
1.23 [.99–1.53]
.061
>Recommended
1.83 [.94–3.59]
.078
1.22 [.94–1.60]
.134
1.21 [.96–1.53]
.102
>300
2.41 [1.11–5.27]
.027
1.53 [1.07–2.18]
.020
1.56 [1.14–2.14]
.005
Note. OR = odds ratio; CI = confidence interval; ref = reference group; F and V = fruits and vegetables; PA = physical activity.
