title: Ethnic differences in weight loss behavior among secondary school students in Beirut: the role of weight perception.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Assessing the prevalence of weight loss attempts in Beirut, Lebanon, a country characterized by a diversity of ethnic and religious groups and examining the interplay between ethnicity, body mass index (BMI) and weight perception and their relationship to weight loss behavior.
  
  
  METHODS
  A school-based survey of risk behaviors conducted among secondary students (grade 10-12) in 1997. Subjects consisted of 827 boys and girls, aged 15 to 23 years, the majority of whom were Moslems (65.4%). Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate the association between ethnicity and weight perception with the likelihood of trying to lose weight controlling for BMI and a number of potential covariates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of weight loss attempts was 19.1% and 42.6% in boys and girls respectively. Christians were more likely to perceive themselves as overweight and to attempt weight loss than Moslems across all BMI levels, however this trend was significant in the underweight category. While controlling for BMI did not change appreciably the results observed, after controlling for weight perception, ethnic differences in weight-loss behavior disappeared.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings of the study suggest that whereas actual weight may constitute only partially the driving force for differentials by ethnicity, the perception of body weight acts as a mediating factor in the relationship between ethnicity and weight loss behavior. Understanding the disparities in weight management behavior across various adolescent groups is key to develop culturally appropriate educational and intervention programs for the youths.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut. ansibai@aub.edu.lb
authors.forename: Abla
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mehio-Sibai
authors.forename: Nabil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kanaan
authors.forename: Monique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chaaya
authors.forename: Boushra
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rahal
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abdullah
authors.forename: Tarek
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sibai
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002835:Christianity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007514:Islam; D007861:Lebanon; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D014504:Urban Health; D015431:Weight Loss; D014892:Weight Perception