Assessing Differences in Risk Perceptions About Obesity Among "Normal-Weight" and "Overweight" Adolescents--A Qualitative Study.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the differences in risk perceptions of overweight/obese and normal-weight adolescents about obesity and associated risk factors. DESIGN: Qualitative study using focus group discussions (FGDs). SETTINGS: Five randomly selected schools from the South Indian city of Hyderabad. PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-nine adolescents (ages 11-14 years) participated in 10 FGDs (5 each with overweight/obese and normal-weight groups). PHENOMENON OF INTEREST: Whether obesity-related risk perceptions differ with actual weight status or not. ANALYSIS: FGDs were recorded, transcribed, and manually coded for thematic analysis. Results were presented according to 6 themes. At each stage of coding and analysis, reports were read independently by 2-3 researchers and the inter-coder reliability was high (ratio of number of agreements against the sum of agreements plus disagreements was over 90%). RESULTS: Adolescents across the groups had limited understanding of nutrition during adolescence as well as causes and consequences of obesity. The optimistic bias that they were less vulnerable compared to others to the risks of obesity was evident from perceptions of overweight groups. While overweight adolescents argued that obesity was hereditary, the normal-weight participants perceived "faulty food habits" and laziness as the reasons. Adolescents across the groups considered fruits and vegetables as healthy foods. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: There were clear differences in perceptions of adolescents of different weight status. Employing the risk perception analysis framework, this study identified the following adolescent traits: responsive, avoidance, and indifference, which may be useful for developing nutrition communication programs.

Nutritional parameters and chronic energy deficiency in older adults of desert areas of western Rajasthan, India.

Nutritional status was assessed in 212 older individuals (> or =60 years of age) in a cross - sectional study carried out in desert areas of western Rajasthan during 2003. Heights and weights were recorded and a family diet survey (one-day, 24-hour recall) was carried out in 200 households (HHs) from 20 villages. Body Mass Index (BMI) was used to classify nutritional status. The prevalence of Chronic Energy Deficiency (CED = BMI < 18.5) was > or = 40% in desert areas of India, indicating a "very high" public health problem. It was higher among older women (52%) compared with men (42.4%) and higher in those belonging to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes and in HHs of laborers, artisans, landless individuals, marginal farmers, and below poverty line families. CED did not differ (statistically) between the desert and plain areas of Rajasthan. CED prevalence among older adults in desert areas was actually lower (p < 0.001) than that found in their rural and tribal counterparts. Intervention programs initiated by the government may explain this finding. Our findings support the conclusion that regular nutritional monitoring of older adults in desert and drought prone areas is needed and can help appropriately target the need for intervention measures.

Prevalence of chronic energy deficiency in rural-dwelling older Indian adults during a period of severe drought.

The prevalence of chronic energy deficiency (CED = BMI < 18.5) among older adults (≥60 years) was assessed utilizing a large data set from a community-based cross-sectional study carried out in severely drought-affected rural areas of India. Anthropometric measurements (height, weight) were recorded for a total of 3,147 individuals, and a family diet survey (one day 24-hour recall) was carried out in 1,900 households (HHs) from 190 villages. As per the Body Mass Index (BMI), the prevalence of CED was 51.1% and 48.5% among older males and females, respectively. It was higher (p < 0.001) in the 70 years and older age group compared with those aged 60-69 years. In general, the prevalence of CED was higher (p < 0.001) for those belonging to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes, for HHs of agricultural and non-agricultural labor, and for marginal or small farmers. The prevalence of CED was relatively lower (p > 0.05) among older adults during the drought period compared with the non-drought period. This could be attributed to intervention programs initiated by the government of India during the drought. These findings illustrate the value of intervention programs in drought-afflicted and drought-prone areas and underscore the importance of monitoring the nutritional status of older adults so that appropriate programs can be initiated as needed.