title: Misperception of weight status in the pacific: preliminary findings in rural and urban 11- to 16-year-olds of New Caledonia.
abstract: Adolescent obesity is prevalent in Pacific region ethnic groups (European, Melanesian and Polynesian) living in both urban and rural areas. Although body perception is an important factor of weight gain or loss, little is known about the body self-perceptions of Pacific region adolescents. This study therefore evaluated adolescent perceptions of body weight according to ethnicity (European, Melanesian or Polynesian), socioeconomic status (low, intermediate or high) and living area (rural or urban) in New Caledonia.
  
  
  
  Sociodemographic and anthropomorphic data from 737 adolescents (351 boys and 386 girls) with ages ranging from 11 to 16 years were collected and analysed. The International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) standards were used to define weight status as normal-weight, underweight or overweight/obese. Weight perception was assessed from detailed questionnaires, with adolescents rating their own weight with the following descriptors: 'about the right weight', 'too heavy', or 'too light'.
  
  
  
  Results showed that only 8.5% of normal-weight adolescents (7% boys and 10% girls) identifying themselves as 'too heavy'. Normal-weight Melanesian adolescents were less likely than their European counterparts to assess themselves as too heavy (OR = 0.357). However, half the overweight/obese adolescents underestimated their weight status (53% boys and 48% girls). Weight misperception was associated with ethnicity, socioeconomic status and living area, with gender-specific differences.
  
  
  
  The results of this study suggest that these sociodemographic factors should be taken into account when designing public health policies and health education school programmes in New Caledonia and, more broadly, the Pacific region.
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Research in Education, School of Education, University of New Caledonia, Noumea, New Caledonia. stephanefrayon@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9767-4148
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Frayon
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Research in Education, School of Education, University of New Caledonia, Noumea, New Caledonia.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cherrier
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Research in Education, School of Education, University of New Caledonia, Noumea, New Caledonia.
authors.forename: Yolande
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cavaloc
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Research in Education, School of Education, University of New Caledonia, Noumea, New Caledonia.
authors.forename: Guillaume
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wattelez
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Research in Education, School of Education, University of New Caledonia, Noumea, New Caledonia.
authors.forename: Amandine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Touitou
authors.affiliation: Laboratory ACTES, EA 3596, UFR STAPS Antilles, Pointe à Pitre, French West Indies, Guadeloupe.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zongo
authors.affiliation: School of Information Technologies, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Kalina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yacef
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences and Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Corinne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caillaud
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Research in Education, School of Education, University of New Caledonia, Noumea, New Caledonia.
authors.forename: Yannick
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lerrant
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Research in Education, School of Education, University of New Caledonia, Noumea, New Caledonia.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Galy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001828:Body Image; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009510:New Caledonia / Q000453:epidemiology; D050177:Overweight / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D010465:Perception; D015995:Prevalence; D012016:Reference Values; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012424:Rural Population; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013851:Thinness / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D014505:Urban Population; D014892:Weight Perception; D044465:White People
keywords: Adolescents; Ethnicity; Melanesian; Overweight; Polynesian; Weight perception