Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Religion and body weight.

K H Kim1, J Sobal, E Wethington

  • 1Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithica, NY 14853, USA. khk4@cornell.edu

International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders : Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity
|March 29, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Religious affiliation is linked to higher body weight in men, particularly conservative Protestants. However, no significant religion-body weight link was found in women, with smoking rates influencing other observed associations.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Classifying foods in contexts: how adults categorize foods for different eating settings.

Appetite·2007
Same author

Dietary Westernisation: conceptualisation and measurement in Mauritius.

Public health nutrition·2005
Same author

Sample extensiveness in qualitative nutrition education research.

Journal of nutrition education·2002
Same author

Commentary: globalization and the epidemiology of obesity.

International journal of epidemiology·2001
Same author

Managing healthy eating: definitions, classifications, and strategies.

Health education & behavior : the official publication of the Society for Public Health Education·2001
Same author

Managing values in personal food systems.

Appetite·2001

Area of Science:

  • Sociology
  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Religion and spirituality are recognized as significant factors influencing health behaviors and outcomes.
  • Previous research has explored the complex interplay between religious beliefs and various health indicators, including body weight.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between religious affiliation and body weight in a diverse US adult population.
  • To determine if gender moderates the relationship between religion and body mass index (BMI).

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of data from 3,032 adults (aged 25-74) participating in the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS).
  • Data collection involved telephone and postal questionnaires, assessing religious denomination, body weight (BMI), and sociodemographic factors.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Statistical analyses were conducted to identify significant relationships, controlling for potential confounders like smoking and sociodemographic variables.

    • Main Results:

    • A significant positive association was observed between religious denomination and higher body weight in men. Conservative Protestant men exhibited a higher mean body mass index (BMI) compared to men with no religious affiliation.
    • Initial significant relationships between other religiosity variables and greater body weight in men became nonsignificant after controlling for smoking.
    • No statistically significant relationships were found between religion and body weight among women in the study sample.

    Conclusions:

    • Religious denomination is a significant correlate of body weight in men, suggesting potential gender-specific influences of religion on health.
    • The observed association between religiosity and higher BMI in men may be partially explained by lower smoking rates among more religious individuals.
    • Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the relationship between religion, smoking behaviors, and body weight in different populations.