Predictors of need for help with weight loss among overweight and obese men and women in the Netherlands: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

BackgroundNeed for help is perceived as an important first step towards weight related health-care use among overweight and obese individuals and several studies have reported gender as an important predisposing characteristic of need for help. Therefore, the goal of the current study is to gain insight into factors that might determine need for help for weight loss in men and women.MethodsIn the current study, data from the Dutch cross-sectional survey Health Monitor 2012 was used. Overweight and obese men (N = 2218) and women (N = 2002) aged 19–64 years were selected for the current study. Potential predictors of need for help were age, ethnicity, marital status, educational level, perceived health, weight status, comorbidities, physical activity level, and income. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted separately among men and women to establish prediction models of need for help for weight loss.ResultsThe mean age of the adult women in this study population was 47.7 years and 68% was medium educated, whereas the mean age of men was 49.0 years and 63.0% was medium educated. Of the respondents, 24.9% indicated they either felt a need for help for weight loss, 6.4% already received help and 68.7% felt no need for help. Women were more likely to indicate a need for help than men (OR = 2.17). Among both genders, need for help was significantly predicted by obesity (ORmen = 3.80, ORwomen = 2.20) and “poor” perceived health (ORmen = 2.14, ORwomen = 1.94). Besides, “unmarried” (ORmen = 1.57) and suffering from comorbidities (ORmen = 1.26) predicted need for help among men. Whereas among women, need for help was predicted by younger age (i.e. 19–34 years (ORwomen = 2.07) and 35–49 years (ORwomen = 1.35)).ConclusionThe current study revealed specific predictors of need for help for weight loss for men and women. Among men, the strongest predictors were obesity and poor perceived health, whereas among women need for help was most strongly predicted by obesity and young age. Insight into these specific predictors enables health professionals to reach overweight individuals with a need for help for weight loss by connecting their need to available support.

Determining patient attendance, access to interventions and clinical outcomes in a publicly funded obesity programme: Results from the Canberra Obesity Management Service

“…This may be due to the fact that those with a higher BMI are likely to have more comorbidities than their lighter counterparts and that the burden of their health conditions motivates their attendance. There is growing evidence that those with comorbidities are more likely to seek help or to continue engaging with services if they perceive their health as poor . This would suggest that the presence of comorbidities alone is not necessarily a predictor of attendance and that the perceived impact of comorbid conditions is a driving force behind initial attendance and ongoing engagement.…”

“…There is growing evidence that those with comorbidities are more likely to seek help or to continue engaging with services if they perceive their health as poor. 19,20 This would suggest that the presence of comorbidities alone is not necessarily a predictor of attendance and that the perceived impact of comorbid conditions is a driving force behind initial attendance and ongoing engagement.…”

Exploring the influences on men’s engagement with weight loss services: a qualitative study

“…For the majority of participants, fear resulted from a medical consultation or medical consequences, which motivated them to engage in weight loss services. This is reflected in the literature; help seeking for weight loss [37] and higher uptake of weight loss services [21] is observed in men when a medical comorbidity exists, when a man is referred by their GP [7] or when a man perceives that his health is at risk [38]. Other qualitative research with men has also found that receiving information about their health risk status and weight motivated men to engage with a programme [39].…”

Exploring the influences on men's engagement with weight loss services: A qualitative study.

“…For the majority of participants, fear resulted from a medical consultation or medical consequences, which motivated them to engage in weight loss services. This is reflected in the literature; help seeking for weight loss [37] and higher uptake of weight loss services [21] is observed in men when a medical comorbidity exists, when a man is referred by their GP [7] or when a man perceives that their health is at risk [38]. Other qualitative research with men has also found that receiving information about their health risk status and weight motivated men to engage with a programme [39].…”

“…They felt that worrying about weight was a 'woman's thing', and that being seen to be concerned or talk about dieting challenged their selfidentity and masculinity. Other studies have also reported on the incompatibility of the construct of masculinity with weight loss in men [37,38]. For example, contemporary social norms about body size for men dictate that the ideal body size is big and strong [38] and taking part in 'feminine'…”