title: Self-perception of body weight status and weight control practices among adolescents in Malaysia.
abstract: The prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents is rising rapidly in many countries, including Malaysia. This article aims to present the associations between body mass index-based body weight status, body weight perception, and weight control practices among adolescents in Malaysia. The Malaysia School Based Nutrition Survey 2012, which included a body weight perception questionnaire and anthropometric measurements, was conducted on a representative sample of 40 011 students from Standard 4 until Form 5, with a 90.5% response rate. Comparing actual and perceived body weight status, the findings show that 13.8% of adolescents underestimated their weight, 35.0% overestimated, and 51.2% correctly judged their own weight. Significantly more normal weight girls felt they were overweight, whereas significantly more overweight boys perceived themselves as underweight. The overall appropriateness of weight control practices to body weight was 72.6%. Adolescents attempting to lose or gain weight need to have better understanding toward desirable behavioral changes.
authors: Institute for Public Health, Ministry of Health, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia ahmadali@moh.gov.my.
authors: Ahmad Ali
authors: AA
authors: Zainuddin
authors: Institute for Public Health, Ministry of Health, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors: Mala A
authors: MA
authors: Manickam
authors: Institute for Public Health, Ministry of Health, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors: Azli
authors: A
authors: Baharudin
authors: Institute for Public Health, Ministry of Health, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors: Azahadi
authors: A
authors: Omar
authors: Institute for Public Health, Ministry of Health, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors: Siew Man
authors: SM
authors: Cheong
authors: Institute for Public Health, Ministry of Health, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors: Rashidah
authors: R
authors: Ambak
authors: Institute for Public Health, Ministry of Health, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors: Mohamad Hasnan
authors: MH
authors: Ahmad
authors: Institute for Public Health, Ministry of Health, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors: Suhaila Abdul
authors: SA
authors: Ghaffar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors
keywords: body image; obese; overweight; underweight; weight perception