Yost et al. BMC Public Health 2010, 10:465 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/10/465 Table 4 Cross Tabulations for Weight Perception Accuracya (N = 2163) BMI Percentile Not Overweight or Obese (< 85th percentile) Overweight or Obese (< 85th percentile) n Note: a chi2(1) 565.78 p < 0.01 Not Overweight n (%) 1206 (76.77%) 124 (20.95%) 1,330 (61.49%) Weight Perception Slightly or Very Overweight n (%) 365 (23.23%) 469 (79.05%) 833 (38.51%) exercise as a weight-loss method (76.54%) (see Table 3). However, BMI, weight perception, and weight percep- tion accuracy were not associated with the odds of enga- ging in exercise as a weight-loss method. Across all of the study’s models, only the maternal educational attain- ment category of completing a General Equivalency Diploma was significantly associated with the likeliness of engaging in exercise as a weight-loss method (see Table 6). However, interpretation of this significance may be considered inappropriate because the General Equivalency Diploma category was one of multiple cate- gories for maternal educational attainment that con- sisted of a small proportion of subjects (4.75%). Discussion Body-mass index, weight perception, and weight percep- tion accuracy were positively associated with trying to lose weight in the study’s representative sample of U.S. Table 5 Results of Survey-Weighted Logistic Regression for Trying to Lose Weight Variable (reference category) Age Hispanic origin Race Black/African American American Indian/Native American Asian/Pacific Islander Other Mother’s Highest Level of Education > 8th grade, not HS grad Business/trade, not HS HS graduate Completed a GED Business/trade after HS Non-college graduate College graduate Post-graduate Total Household Income Actual Weight/BMI Overweight Obese Weight Perception (WP) Slightly Overweight Very Overweight WP Accuracy Overweight or Obese, Not Overweight WP Overweight or Obese, Slightly Overweight WP Overweight or Obese, Very Overweight WP Note. a OR = odds ratio; b CI = confidence interval. c p < 0.05. Model 1 ORa CI (95%)b 1.07c 1.005-1.15 1.02 0.68-1.52 0.87 0.67-1.13 0.72 0.33-1.60 0.93 0.50-1.74 1.44 0.77-2.71 1.37 0.75-2.49 0.77 0.16-3.58 0.86 0.44-1.68 0.64 0.27-.155 0.97 0.48-1.97 0.88 0.46-1.68 0.81 0.41-1.63 0.62 0.30-1.31 1.00 0.99-1.001 Model 2 ORa CI (95%)b 1.11c 1.02-1.22 0.89 0.57-.139 0.69 0.47-1.01 0.62 0.23-1.65 1.48 0.78-2.78 1.44 0.73-2.85 1.08 0.59-1.98 2.04 0.40-10.48 0.95 0.53-1.73 0.62 0.27-1.41 1.01 0.47-2.17 1.04 0.55-1.98 0.74 0.36-1.51 0.57 0.29-1.13 1.00 0.99-1.001 1.82c 1.15-2.88 4.14c 2.30-7.46 13.10c 9.59-17.88 23.75c 7.68-73.42 Page 7 of 11 n 1,571 (100%) 592 (100%) 2,163 Model 3 ORa CI (95%)b 1.18c 1.09-1.27 0.99 0.63-1.54 0.64c 0.46-0.89 0.52 0.22-1.20 1.38 0.73-2.61 1.42 0.72-2.79 1.57 0.91-2.74 1.74 0.39-7.85 1.23 0.72-2.10 0.87 0.41-1.81 1.16 0.59-2.28 1.32 0.75-2.33 1.07 0.57-2.00 0.87 0.47-1.62 1.00 0.99-1.001 1.84c 1.15-2.94 13.59c 8.51-21.69 22.62c 7.30-70.07