The Role of Doctor Visits, Body Image Discrepancy, and Perceived Health in Predicting Medical Weight Problem...

Background/Objectives: This study investigated how doctor visit(s), body image discrepancy, and perceived health status are associated with receiving a medical weight problem diagnosis. Methods: The sample included 458 Hispanic adults (366 women, 92 men) who completed a health survey at health fairs. Results: Descriptive analyses indicated that 51.4% of women and 54.3% of men were classified as overweight or obese, yet only 30% received a medical weight problem diagnosis. Most participants selected an ideal body shape that was thinner than their perceived body shape. Separate logistic regression analyses were conducted by gender to assess associations between body image discrepancy, perceived health status, and receiving a medical weight problem diagnosis, controlling for age. Findings revealed that women who had visited a doctor in the past year had 5.02 times the odds (95% CI:1.98-12.73) of receiving a medical weight problem diagnosis compared to those who had not. Each one-point increase in body image discrepancy was associated with a 1.88-fold increase in the odds of receiving a diagnosis (95% CI:1.49-2.37). Conversely, a one-point increase in perceived health status was associated with 1.59 times the odds (95% CI: 0.47-0.83) of not receiving a diagnosis. For men, those who had visited the doctor in the past year had 14.17 times the odds (95% CI:1.53-131.17) of receiving a medical weight problem diagnosis. Each one-point increase in body image discrepancy was associated with 1.60 times the odds of receiving a diagnosis (95% CI:1.01-2.54). However, perceived health status was not a significant predictor of diagnosis among men. Conclusions: Addressing healthcare access barriers and considering the roles of body image and perceived health status could improve obesity diagnosis and treatment in Hispanic populations.