title: The Influence of U.S. Chain Restaurant Food Consumption and Obesity in China and South Korea: An Ecological Perspective of Food Consumption, Self-Efficacy in Weight Management, Willingness to Communicate About Weight/Diet, and Depression.
abstract: This study examined the impact of U.S. chain restaurant food consumption in China and South Korea from an ecological perspective. Specifically, it explored the relationships among several environmental and individual variables that have been found to affect obesity/weight management in previous research, including the prevalence/popularity of U.S. chain restaurants in these countries, frequency of U.S. chain restaurant food consumption, self-efficacy in weight management, willingness to communicate about weight/diet, self-perceptions of weight/obesity stigma, body mass index (BMI), and depression. The results indicated that willingness to communicate about weight/diet predicted increased self-efficacy in weight management. Higher BMI scores were found to predict increased weight/obesity stigma, and increased frequency of U.S. restaurant food consumption, weight/obesity stigma, and reduced self-efficacy in weight management were found to predict increased levels of depression. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed, along with limitations and directions for future research.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Communication George Mason University.
authors.forename: Kevin B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.affiliation: a Department of Communication George Mason University.
authors.forename: Raphael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mazzone
authors.affiliation: a Department of Communication George Mason University.
authors.forename: Hyun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.affiliation: a Department of Communication George Mason University.
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: a Department of Communication George Mason University.
authors.forename: Anne-Bennett
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Smithson
authors.affiliation: a Department of Communication George Mason University.
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.affiliation: a Department of Communication George Mason University.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: MacNeil
authors.affiliation: a Department of Communication George Mason University.
authors.forename: Xing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.affiliation: a Department of Communication George Mason University.
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stiller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight; D000068959:Body Weight Maintenance; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003142:Communication; D004032:Diet; D057140:Fast Foods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D056910:Republic of Korea; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult