ABSTRACT
Background and objectives Many research studies show that self-stigma related to weight can exacerbate mental health issues. There is also evidence suggesting that depression, anxiety, and stress could be predictors of weight stigma. However, these connections have not been thoroughly investigated among young people in Saudi Arabia, where there is a high prevalence of obesity. This study aimed to explore the relationships between depression, anxiety, stress, and weight self-stigma in Saudi Arabian adolescents and young adults. Materials and methods This cross-sectional study was conducted between January and March 2022 and utilized online surveys, including the Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire (WSSQ) and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21). We conducted descriptive analysis, independent samples t-tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and linear regression for the statistical analysis using SPSS version 25 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Results A total of 1624 participants were enrolled in this survey. Most participants (889, 54.7%) were females. The mean age was 20.73 years (SD: 2.63). Males were more likely to report self-stigma compared to females (p = 0.018). Weight self-stigma demonstrated significant positive associations with body mass index (BMI) (p = 0.0001) and depression, anxiety, and stress (p = 0.0001) scores. Further analysis revealed weight self-stigma was positively correlated with psychological distress levels in the study population (p = 0.0001). The results demonstrated a statistically significant difference between different regions of Saudi Arabia with weight self-stigma being more prevalent in the Al-Baha region and least prevalent in the Al-Madinah region. Conclusions The results of this study indicate robust positive correlations between weight self-stigma scores and depression, anxiety, and stress scale scores among adolescents and young adults in Saudi Arabia. Further epidemiological and clinical studies on the national level are warranted.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Studies on the role of weight self-stigma on the quality of life of young adults are limited. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the relationship between different forms of weight self-stigma (self-devaluation and fear of enacted stigma) and the quality of life among Saudi youth in the Jazan region. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed using a sample of 399 participants who were invited through social media platforms. We used Arabic, validated versions of the weight self-stigma questionnaire (WSSQ) and the World Health Organization quality of life questionnaire. Data analysis was performed by independent samples t-test and analysis of variance with Tukey's post hoc test. RESULTS: The study sample consisted of 399 participants aged 21.12 years ± 2.91 years. A total of 264 (66.2%) were female. The overall weight self-stigma score of the study population was 34.81 ± 10.73 on the WSSQ. The analysis showed a significant association between weight self-stigma and quality of life and body mass index (BMI; p < 0.01). In addition, participants who were overweight and obese had more self-devaluation and fear of enacted stigma than did participants with normal weight. Participants with high weight self-stigma had lower quality of life than did those with less weight self-stigma. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study show that weight self-stigma is negatively correlated with the individual's quality of life. Weight self-stigma was positively associated with BMI.
