Paper: The Relationship among Body Image, Depression and Weight in African-American Women (19th International Nursing Research Congress Focusing on Evidence-Based Practice)

Wednesday, 9 July 2008

Michelle Alyson Nelson, RN, MS, FNP , School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA

Ora Lea Strickland, PhD, RN, FAAN , Family & Community Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA

Learning Objective 1: define the nature of the relationships among various cultural factors, body image, depression and weight in African-American women.

Learning Objective 2: identify various predictors of obesity and depression among African-American women and explain the influence African-American male's perceptions of body image have on African-American women's weights.

Background: Obesity has become a disease of epidemic proportions. African-American women (AAW) have disproportionately higher rates of obesity and depression when compared to other groups of women. Cultural factors, body image and depression have been purported to separately influence the weight of AAW. However, there are no studies investigating the influence of various cultural factors, female and their African-American male partner's perceptions of body image, and depression on weight among AAW. It is important to understand the roles perceptions of body image and depression play in the relationship between cultural factors and weight. Understanding these dynamics could facilitate the development of more effective weight control and maintenance strategies for AAW.

Data and Methods: Data were obtained from 45 male-female dyads from a community setting in Atlanta, Georgia. Measures for cultural factors, body image, and depression included the Weight Perceptions and Control Scale, Partner Perceptions of a Woman's Weight Scale, Beliefs Regarding Weight Scale and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale as well as the Future Time Perspective Inventory and Cardiac Diet and Exercise Self-Efficacy Instruments. Spearman's Rho and Pearson's correlations, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses will be conducted.

Findings: Significant relationships are anticipated among the various cultural factors, male and female perceptions of body image, depression and weight in AAW. The independent variables also will be assessed as predictors for the dependent variable. Body image will be assessed as a mediating variable between cultural factors and weight.

Implications: In an effort to decrease or prevent the prevalence of obesity and depression in this population, the nature of the relationships between cultural factors, body image, depression and weight will be elucidated. These findings could indicate the importance of and need for interventions that incorporate these psychosocial factors and provide information that will fill the gaps in the literature specific to AAW.

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