NUTRITION KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES OF WEIGHT MAINTAINERS, WEIGHT REGAINERS, AND NORMAL WEIGHT WOMEN.
Contributors: Case Western Reserve University.
Published: 1989
Number of pages: 117
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Nutrition.
Description: The purpose of this study was to compare the nutrition knowledge and attitudes of normal weight women, women who had been obese and were able to maintain normal weight, and women who were obese and then regained the previously lost weight. The hypotheses were: (1) Nutrition knowledge scores of weight maintainers will be higher than the nutrition knowledge scores of weight regainers and normal weight individuals; (2) Nutrition attitude scores of weight maintainers will be more positive than the nutrition attitude scores of weight regainers and normal weight individuals.

Participants for the study were obtained from several sources including weight control organizations, professional and educational groups, and self-referred individuals. Ninety subjects completed a 140 item Nutrition Knowledge/Attitude Questionnaire and a General Information Questionnaire. Each weight classification group contained thirty women between the age of thirty and sixty.

Total scores, scores for Nutrition Knowledge and Nutrition Attitudes, and scores for the seven subscales of the Nutrition Knowledge/Attitude Questionnaire were analyzed for the three weight classification groups. Statistical tests showed the differences between the groups were non-significant for the total scores, nutrition knowledge and attitude scores, and scores for the seven subscales. Testing of the demographic characteristics of the sample showed that only religion was significantly different across the three groups. Analysis of questions from the General Information Questionnaire showed a significant difference only for the perceived weight category question. Approximately one third of the maintainers and normal weight women perceived themselves as being overweight.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-07, Section: B, page: 2846.

Thesis (PH.D.)--CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY (HEALTH SCIENCES), 1989.

School code: 0499.