title: Weight self-stigma and its association with quality of life and psychological distress among overweight and obese women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are limiting studies evaluating the weight self-stigma and its association with eating disorders and health concerns. However, no study is available evaluating weight self-stigma and its determinants among reproductive age women in Iran. The aim of this study was to evaluate weight self-stigma and its association with quality of life and psychological distress among overweight and obese Iranian women.
  
  
  METHODS
  The current cross-sectional study was performed among 170 women aged 17-45 years referring to health centers of Tabriz-Iran. Anthropometric assessments were performed. Weight self-stigma was assessed by weight self-stigma questionnaire (WSSQ). Evaluation of quality of life and psychological distress was performed using SF-12 and general health questionnaires (GHQ-12), respectively. Analysis of data was performed by multivariate hierarchical regression analysis using SPSS 18 software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study, the multivariate hierarchical regression analysis revealed that being married and having low total weight self-stigma and fear of enacted stigma (FES) scores were associated with better physical component summary scores (p < 0.05). Whereas, younger ages and lower total weight self-stigma scores were associated with better mental component summary scores. In addition, lower weight self-stigma total scores and lower self-devaluation scores were predictors of lower psychological distress.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicated the negative impacts of weight self-stigma on quality of life and psychological distress among overweight and obese women. Since weight stigma might be a potent barrier of obese individuals to engage in health promoting behaviors, therefore, the results of the current study further warrants the need for developing interventional strategies to reduce the adverse impacts of weight stigma on quality of life via including the reduction of weight self-stigma as a key therapeutic goal in obesity treatment programs.
authors.affiliation: Nutrition Research Center, Department of Nutrition in Community, Faculty of Nutrition, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. abbasalizad_m@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Mahdieh Abbasalizad
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Farhangi
authors.affiliation: Nutrition Research Center, Department of Nutrition in Community, Faculty of Nutrition, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahsa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Emam-Alizadeh
authors.affiliation: Nutrition Research Center, Department of Nutrition in Community, Faculty of Nutrition, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hamedi
authors.affiliation: Health Education and Health Promotion Department, School of Public Health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jahangiry
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D001835:Body Weight; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012649:Self Concept; D057545:Social Stigma; D013240:Stereotyping; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: GHQ-12; Obesity; SF-12; Weight stigma