• Shervin Assari and Maryam Moghani Lankarani.
• Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, MI, USA ; Center for Research on Ethnicity, Culture and Health, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, MI, USA.
• J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2015 Sep 1; 2 (3): 414-20.

IntroductionAlthough obesity is associated with weight loss intention, the magnitude of this association may differ across various populations. Using a nationally representative data of the United States, this study tested the variation of the association between obesity and weight loss intention based on race and gender.MethodsData came from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL), 2001-2003, which enrolled 5,810 nationally representative sample of adults (3,516 African Americans, 1,415 Caribbean Blacks, and 879 Non-Hispanic Whites). Socio-demographics, body mass index (BMI), and weight loss intention were measured. We fitted logistic regression models in the pooled sample with weight loss intention as outcome, obesity (BMI > 30) as predictor, while the effect of covariates were controlled. To test our moderation hypotheses, we entered race * obesity and gender * obesity interactions to the model.ResultsAlthough the association between obesity and weight loss intention was significant among both race and gender groups, the magnitude of the association between obesity and weight loss intention was larger for women than men and Whites than Blacks. That means individuals with obesity have less intention for weight loss if they are Black or men.ConclusionThe link between obesity and weight loss intention depends on race and gender. Weight loss intention may not increase in response to obesity among Blacks and men, compared to Whites and women. Healthy weight programs in the United States may benefit from tailoring based on race and gender.

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