Peer Reviewed: Body Weight Dissatisfaction Among Israeli Jewish and Arab Women With Normal or Overweight-Obese Body Mass Index,Israeli INHIS-1, 2003-2004

Introduction

In Israel, 58.9% of Jewish and Arab Israeli women aged 25 to 64 years are overweight or obese (body mass index ≥25 kg/m²). The objective of this analysis is to describe body weight dissatisfaction differences between Jewish and Arab Israeli women with normal or overweight-obese body mass index.

Methods

This analysis included 1,393 Jewish and Arab women who participated in the Israeli National Health Interview Survey, 2003-2004. The survey covered a random sample of the Israeli general population aged 21 years or older. All variables were based on self-report. Body weight dissatisfaction was a multiple-choice question in the survey that offered the following responses: very satisfied, satisfied, reasonably satisfied, not satisfied, or very unsatisfied. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted.

Results

Overall, 39.1% of Jewish women reported body weight dissatisfaction, compared with 29.1% of Arab women. Older overweight-obese Arab women had a lower prevalence of body weight dissatisfaction than Jewish women of the same age group, which indicates cultural differences in body weight dissatisfaction among older overweight-obese women. However, cultural differences do not appear to influence body weight dissatisfaction among younger Jewish and Arab women of normal weight.

Conclusion

This study suggests that Jewish and Arab women differ in their perceptions of body weight. Interventions tailored to each group are needed to promote healthy dietary and physical activity behaviors.