Eating behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs that contribute to overweight and obesity among women in Lilongwe City, Malawi: a qualitative study
Abstract Background Obesity is increasingly a public health concern in low- and middle-income countries, including Malawi where 36% of women have body mass index in overweight/obese categories in urban areas. Eating behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs are associated with body size, but have not been s...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-06-01
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| Series: | BMC Women's Health |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-022-01811-0 |
| _version_ | 1818207481754550272 |
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| author | Myness Kasanda Ndambo Alinane Linda Nyondo-Mipando Chrissie Thakwalakwa |
| author_facet | Myness Kasanda Ndambo Alinane Linda Nyondo-Mipando Chrissie Thakwalakwa |
| author_sort | Myness Kasanda Ndambo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Obesity is increasingly a public health concern in low- and middle-income countries, including Malawi where 36% of women have body mass index in overweight/obese categories in urban areas. Eating behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs are associated with body size, but have not been studied in-depth in sub-Saharan African countries. This study therefore, explored eating behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs of women in Lilongwe, Malawi. Methods This was a descriptive ancillary qualitative study utilising in-depth interviews with 27 women (13 in normal weight range and 14 in overweight/obesity ranges) puporsively selected in Lilongwe City, Malawi from October to November 2017. The concept of data saturation guided data collection, and it was reached with the 27 interviewed participants when there was no new information coming from the participants. All interviews were conducted in the local language, transcribed verbatim, and translated into English. The transcripts were analysed manually using thematic content analysis. Results Majority of participants perceived overweight as an indication of good health such that with food affordability, women deliberately gain weight to demonstrate their good health. Most normal weight respondents said they ate less food than they wanted to because of financial constraints. Most women in overweight/obese ranges in our sample reported that they eat large portions and eat frequently due to the desire to portray a good image of their marital life since there is a societal expectation that when a woman is married, her weight should increase to show that the marriage is successful. The perceived contributors to weight gain include eating behaviors, feelings about weight gain, and gender roles and social expectations to gain weight. Conclusion Beliefs and attitudes related to eating behaviors may have contributed to women being in overweight range and should be considered in designing obesity prevention interventions targeting women in Malawi. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T04:29:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bb9909c4247340ddb09a60065289ff9e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6874 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T04:29:37Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Women's Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-bb9909c4247340ddb09a60065289ff9e2022-12-22T00:38:08ZengBMCBMC Women's Health1472-68742022-06-012211810.1186/s12905-022-01811-0Eating behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs that contribute to overweight and obesity among women in Lilongwe City, Malawi: a qualitative studyMyness Kasanda Ndambo0Alinane Linda Nyondo-Mipando1Chrissie Thakwalakwa2School of Global and Public Health, Kamuzu University of Health SciencesSchool of Global and Public Health, Kamuzu University of Health SciencesCentre for Social Research, Chancellor College, University of MalawiAbstract Background Obesity is increasingly a public health concern in low- and middle-income countries, including Malawi where 36% of women have body mass index in overweight/obese categories in urban areas. Eating behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs are associated with body size, but have not been studied in-depth in sub-Saharan African countries. This study therefore, explored eating behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs of women in Lilongwe, Malawi. Methods This was a descriptive ancillary qualitative study utilising in-depth interviews with 27 women (13 in normal weight range and 14 in overweight/obesity ranges) puporsively selected in Lilongwe City, Malawi from October to November 2017. The concept of data saturation guided data collection, and it was reached with the 27 interviewed participants when there was no new information coming from the participants. All interviews were conducted in the local language, transcribed verbatim, and translated into English. The transcripts were analysed manually using thematic content analysis. Results Majority of participants perceived overweight as an indication of good health such that with food affordability, women deliberately gain weight to demonstrate their good health. Most normal weight respondents said they ate less food than they wanted to because of financial constraints. Most women in overweight/obese ranges in our sample reported that they eat large portions and eat frequently due to the desire to portray a good image of their marital life since there is a societal expectation that when a woman is married, her weight should increase to show that the marriage is successful. The perceived contributors to weight gain include eating behaviors, feelings about weight gain, and gender roles and social expectations to gain weight. Conclusion Beliefs and attitudes related to eating behaviors may have contributed to women being in overweight range and should be considered in designing obesity prevention interventions targeting women in Malawi.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-022-01811-0ObesityOverweightEating behaviorsAttitudesBeliefsDeveloping countries |
| spellingShingle | Myness Kasanda Ndambo Alinane Linda Nyondo-Mipando Chrissie Thakwalakwa Eating behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs that contribute to overweight and obesity among women in Lilongwe City, Malawi: a qualitative study BMC Women's Health Obesity Overweight Eating behaviors Attitudes Beliefs Developing countries |
| title | Eating behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs that contribute to overweight and obesity among women in Lilongwe City, Malawi: a qualitative study |
| title_full | Eating behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs that contribute to overweight and obesity among women in Lilongwe City, Malawi: a qualitative study |
| title_fullStr | Eating behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs that contribute to overweight and obesity among women in Lilongwe City, Malawi: a qualitative study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Eating behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs that contribute to overweight and obesity among women in Lilongwe City, Malawi: a qualitative study |
| title_short | Eating behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs that contribute to overweight and obesity among women in Lilongwe City, Malawi: a qualitative study |
| title_sort | eating behaviors attitudes and beliefs that contribute to overweight and obesity among women in lilongwe city malawi a qualitative study |
| topic | Obesity Overweight Eating behaviors Attitudes Beliefs Developing countries |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-022-01811-0 |
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