Obesity prevalence has increased dramatically in the United States. Rural areas have been especially affected, yet few weight management studies have been conducted in these populations. This study was designed to assess weight management attitudes and strategies used when rural adults in particular attempt to lose weight, employing measures that are more specific than those reported in similar studies. The survey was completed by 123 adults aged 19 to 71, with a 29% response rate. Scales demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency, and test-retest reliability. Persons currently trying to lose weight were more likely to report self-monitoring behaviors and goal setting but no more likely to report use of specific behavioral strategies compared to persons not trying to lose weight. The results suggest considerable interest in weight management among rural adults and provide a starting point for planning future weight management interventions in this and similar populations.
Arbuckle, J. L. (1997). AMOS users’ guide, version 3.6. Chicago: Smallwaters.
2.
Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
3.
Clark, N. M., Gong, M., & Kaciroti, N. (2001). A model of self-regulation for control of chronic disease. Health Education & Behavior, 28(6), 769-782.
4.
Clark, N. M., Janz, N. K., Dodge, J. A., & Sharpe, P. A. (1992). Self-regulation of health behavior: The “take PRIDE” program. Health Education Quarterly, 19(3), 341-354.
5.
Clark, N. M., & Starr-Schneidkraut, N. J. (1994). Management of asthma by patients and families. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 149(2, Part 2), S54-S68.
6.
Emmons, K. M., Marcus, B. H., Linnan, L., Rossi, J. S., & Abrams, D. B. (1994). Mechanisms in multiple risk factor interventions: Smoking, physical activity, and dietary fat intake among manufacturing workers. Working Well Research Group. Preventive Medicine, 23(4), 481-489.
7.
Fleiss, J. (1981). Statistical methods for rates and proportions (2nd ed.). New York: John Wiley.
8.
French, S. A., Jeffery, R. W., & Wing, R. R. (1994). Sex differences among participants in a weight-control program. Addictive Behavior, 19(2), 147-158.
9.
Gans, K. M., Burkholder, G. J., Risica, P. M., & Lasater, T. M. (2003). Baseline fat-related dietary behaviors of White, Hispanic, and Black participants in a cholesterol screening and education project in New England. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 103(6), 699-706.
10.
Horm, J., & Anderson, K. (1993). Who in America is trying to lose weight?Annals of Internal Medicine, 119(7, Part 2), 672-676.
11.
Jeffery, R. W., Drewnowski, A., & Epstein, L. H. (2000). Long-term maintenance of weight loss: current status. Health Psychology, 19(Suppl. 1), 5-16.
12.
Knowler, W. C., Barrett-Connor, E., & Fowler, S. E. (2002). Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformin. New England Journal of Medicine, 346(6), 393-403.
13.
Kottke, T. E., Clark, M. M., & Aase, L. A. (2002). Self-reported weight, weight goals, and weight control strategies of a midwestern population. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 77(2), 114-121.
14.
Lorig, K. R., Ritter, P., & Stewart, A. L. (2001). Chronic disease self-management program: 2-year health status and health care utilization outcomes. Medical Care, 39(11), 1217-1223.
15.
Madsen, J., Sallis, J. F., & Rupp, J. W. (1993). Process variables as predictors of risk factor changes in a family health behavior change program. Health Education Research, 8(2), 193-204.
16.
McGuire, M. T., Wing, R. R., Klem, M. L., & Hill, J. O. (1999). Behavioral strategies of individuals who have maintained long-term weight losses. Obesity Research, 7(4), 334-341.
17.
Merchant, J. (2002). Chronic disease and injury in an agricultural county: The Keokuk County Rural Health Cohort Study. Journal of Rural Health, 18(4), 521-535.
18.
Mokdad, A. H., Serdula, M. K., Dietz, W. H., Bowman, B. A., Marks, J. S., & Koplan, J. P. (2000). The continuing epidemic of obesity in the United States. Journal of the American Medical Association, 284(13), 1650-1651.
19.
National Institutes of Health. (1993). Methods for voluntary weight loss and control. NIH Technology Assessment Conference Panel. Consensus Development Conference, 30 March to 1 April 1992. Annals of Internal Medicine, 119(7, Part 2), 764-770.
20.
National Institutes of Health. (1998). Clinical guidelines on the identification, evaluation, and treatment of overweight and obesity in adults. Executive summary. Rockville, MD: Author.
21.
Nothwehr, F. (2002). Weight control behaviors of low-income, African-American women. Health Promotion Practice, 3(3), 207-216.
22.
Nothwehr, F., Clark, N. M., Janz, N. K., Schork, M. A., & Gum, C. (1997). Development of measures for assessing asthma management behavior in adults. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
23.
Nothwehr, F., & Covemaker, S. (2003). Healthy eating and exercise in the rural Midwest. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 103(8), 973.
24.
Paeratakul, S., Lovejoy, J. C., Ryan, D. H., & Bray, G. A. (2002). The relation of gender, race and socioeconomic status to obesity and obesity comorbidities in a sample of U.S. adults. International Journal of Obesity, 26(9), 1205-1210.
25.
Pearson, T. A., & Lewis, C. (1998). Rural epidemiology: Insights from a rural population laboratory. American Journal of Epidemiology, 148(10), 949-957.
26.
Rothacker, D. Q. (2000). Five-year self-management of weight using meal replacements: Comparison with matched controls in rural Wisconsin. Nutrition, 16, 344-348.
27.
Rothacker, D. Q., & Blackburn, G. L. (2000). Obesity prevalence by age group and 5-year changes in adults residing in rural Wisconsin. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 100(7), 784-790.
28.
Saelens, B. E., Sallis, J. F., Calfas, K. J., & Sarkin, J. A. (1999). Self-management skills for physical activity during and after a physical activity intervention. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 21, S179.
29.
Sallis, J. F., Calfas, K. J., & Nichols, J. F. (1999). Evaluation of a university course to promote physical activity: Project GRAD. Research Quarterly for Exercise & Sport, 70(1), 1-10.
30.
Sallis, J. F., Grossman, R. M., Pinski, R. B, Patterson, T. L., & Nader, P. R. (1987). The development of scales to measure social support for diet and exercise behaviors. Preventive Medicine, 16(6), 825-836.
31.
Sallis, J. F., Pinski, R. B., Grossman, R. M., Patterson, T. L., & Nader, P. R. (1988). The development of self-efficacy scales for health-related diet and exercise behaviors. Health Education Research, 3(3), 283-292.
32.
Sherwood, N. E., Jeffery, R. W., French, S. A., Hannan, P. J., & Murray, D. M. (2000). Predictors of weight gain in the Pound of Prevention study. International Journal of Obesity, 24, 395-403.
33.
Wing, R. R., & Hill, J. O. (2001). Successful weight loss maintenance. Annual Review of Nutrition, 21, 323-341.
