Body Weight Concerns among Urban Adolescent Girls: A Microlevel Study
Table 2
Descriptive statistics of weight related behaviours among the study participants and results of Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney tests for certain sociodemographic correlates.
Variable
Dieting
Food avoidance
Consciousness about calorie intake
Concern about being overweight
Mean (±SD)
Mean (±SD)
Mean (±SD)
Mean (±SD)
Age group
≤13 years
2.45 ± 0.77*
1.56 ± 0.76
1.77 ± 1.12*
1.57 ± 1.51
14–16 years
2.73 ± 0.94
1.74 ± 0.98
1.94 ± 1.36
1.60 ± 1.32
≥17 years
2.84 ± 0.87
1.76 ± 0.80
2.07 ± 1.44
1.81 ± 1.56
Religion
Hindu
2.90 ± 0.91**
1.80 ± 0.69
2.06 ± 1.45*
1.93 ± 1.45**
Muslim
2.54 ± 0.86
1.66 ± 0.93
1.75 ± 1.14
1.19 ± 1.42
Family size
≤3 members
2.67 ± 0.91
1.75 ± 0.84
2.28 ± 1.44*
1.82 ± 1.41*
4–6 members
2.85 ± 0.79
1.70 ± 0.89
1.92 ± 1.32
1.71 ± 1.52
≥7 members
2.60 ± 1.01
1.67 ± 0.81
1.67 ± 0.82
1.17 ± 1.37
Socioeconomic characteristics
Father’s occupation
Skill and nonskilled work
2.51 ± 0.82**
1.56 ± 0.88*
1.68 ± 0.96
1.20 ± 1.26*
Business
2.74 ± 0.89
1.76 ± 0.10
1.94 ± 1.52
1.55 ± 1.54
Service
2.98 ± 1.02
1.85 ± 0.83
2.03 ± 1.24
1.86 ± 1.47
Father’s Level of education
Below 10 years
2.52 ± 0.86**
1.53 ± 0.90*
1.71 ± 1.09*
1.17 ± 1.25**
10–12 years
2.62 ± 0.88
1.79 ± 0.79
1.95 ± 1.48
1.61 ± 1.51
Above 12 years
2.89 ± 0.94
1.80 ± 0.82
2.22 ± 1.40
2.23 ± 1.54
Mother’s Level of education
Below 10 years
2.44 ± 0.73**
1.58 ± 0.91
1.72 ± 1.14
1.15 ± 1.27**
10–12 years
2.61 ± 0.91
1.72 ± 0.86
2.14 ± 1.45
2.04 ± 1.55
Above 12 years
2.85 ± 0.93
1.77 ± 0.79
2.02 ± 1.47
1.91 ± 1.54
Influence of media
Exposure to television
Yes
2.91 ± 0.92**
1.75 ± 0.92
2.23 ± 1.50**
1.77 ± 1.52**
Significant at 0.05 level; **significant at 0.01 level.
