Eating behavior tendencies among Finnish adults in relation to previous weight loss attempts.

BACKGROUND: The number of weight loss attempts may be associated with higher weight status and unfavorable health behaviors as well as dysfunctional eating behaviors. We aimed to study eating behavior tendencies, i.e., cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating and emotional eating among a sample of Finnish adults who had engaged in a different number of attempts to lose weight during their lifetime. METHODS: Data were collected through a web-based survey. Participants completed a background questionnaire (including questions on weight, height, number of attempts to lose weight) and the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-R18). Out of 1985 individuals, 1679 with complete data were included in the study. The TFEQ-R18 was tested for its reliability and fit to our study population using Cronbach's alpha and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). RESULTS: Subscales of the TFEQ-R18 had acceptable reliability except for that of 'cognitive restraint', which reached acceptable reliability when three items were deleted (items 15, 16, 18). The revised version of the questionnaire was designated as the TFEQ-R15, which showed good fit based on CFA fit indices. Participants who had attempted to lose weight during their lifetime (n = 1229), especially those with ≥3 weight loss attempts (n = 499), had greater cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating, emotional eating, and higher body mass index (BMI) than those with no previous weight loss attempts (n = 132). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that eating behavior tendencies, i.e., decreasing tendencies of uncontrolled and emotional eating should receive more emphasis to support successful weight management.

Motivators, barriers and strategies of weight management: A cross-sectional study among Finnish adults.

BACKGROUND: Weight management (WM) is an ongoing global challenge. The purpose of this study was to analyze motivators, barriers, and strategies of WM among Finnish adults. METHODS: Data were collected in the 'KULUMA' (Consumers at the Weight Management Market) project among 667 community-dwelling adults in Eastern and Central Finland (Kuopio and Jyväskylä). The self-reported questionnaire collected background information and responses to motivators, barriers, and strategy items. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to extract components of motivators, barriers, and strategies of WM, along with K-means clustering to categorize the participants. RESULTS: About 55% of the respondents were aiming to lose weight. The PCA resulted in a 3-component model for motivators (functional aspects, sociological aspects, and psychosocial aspects), a 4-component model for barriers (life situations, food environment, personal issues, and resources) and a 2-component model for the strategies of WM (dietary strategies and life-management strategies). The components had several relationships with demographic characteristics (especially with age) but only a few with weight-related characteristics (e.g. weight loss attempts). Three clusters of participants were formed: Struggling weight managers (WMs), Independent WMs, and Determined WMs. Barriers to WM had a key role in differentiating clusters and weight satisfaction. Determined WMs were the most satisfied with their weight, whereas Struggling WMs perceived the highest level of barriers to WM. CONCLUSIONS: WM efforts are common among Finnish adults. Generally, weight-related activities and communication in society should focus more on barriers than merely on the motivation or strategies of WM in order to support individuals' WM efforts.

A cross-sectional study of barriers to physical activity among overweight and obese patients with type 2 diabetes in Iran.

The objective of this study was to identify common barriers to physical activity practice among overweight/obese patients with type 2 diabetes in Iran and their associations with physical activity level. In this cross-sectional study, 146 overweight/obese volunteers with type 2 diabetes were recruited from diabetes clinics in Tabriz, Iran, between July 2012 and March 2013. A Persian version of the long-format International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to assess physical activity level. A 12-item structured questionnaire was designed to assess physical activity barriers. The validity and reliability of the latter scale were assessed by related measures. An exploratory factor analysis with the principal component analysis extraction method and varimax rotation was performed to extract the underlying factors. Multivariate regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between barriers and physical activity level. About 73% of patients had moderate physical activity. Factor analysis yielded four factors as barriers to physical activity including: (i) negative attitude towards physical activity, (ii) discouragement, (iii) physical problems and (iv) cost/environmental factors. These factors explained about 51% of the total variance. There was a negative relationship between the factor 'physical problems' and physical activity level (P = 0.024). Overall, there were some barriers to physical activity. Health counsellors should address these barriers to increase the patients' adherence to physical activity recommendations. Physical conditions of the patients must be taken into account.

Perceived barriers to recommended dietary adherence in patients with type 2 diabetes in Iran.

OBJECTIVE: To identify barriers to recommended dietary adherence in patients with type 2 diabetes. DESIGN: Observational cross-sectional study. SAMPLE: One hundred-forty six overweight/obese volunteers with type 2 diabetes, who had previously received dietary advice for at least one year, were recruited from two diabetes clinics in Tabriz, north-west of Iran. MEASUREMENTS: A 24-item questionnaire was designed to assess dietary barriers. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were assessed by Content Validity Index, Content Validity Ratio and Cronbach's alpha, respectively. An exploratory factor analysis with principal component analysis extraction and varimax rotation was utilized in order to extract the underlying factors of dietary nonadherence. RESULTS: Factor analysis yielded seven barrier factors including: situational barriers/difficulty resisting temptation [percent variance=11.64%], stress-related eating disorder/cost [percent variance=9.11%], difficulty with meal and snack plans [percent variance=8.76%], confusion [percent variance=8.45%], work-related issues [percent variance=7.72%], small portion size [percent variance=6.87%] and lack of palatability/family support [percent variance=6.78%]. These factors explained about 59.4% of the total variance. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, patients with type 2 diabetes perceived some barriers to recommended dietary adherence. In dietary counseling, considering and addressing these barriers will likely be effective in increasing the dietary adherence for patients with type 2 diabetes in Iran.