Identification of psychological risk and protective factors of obesity in women

Objective: Obesity is a complex multifactorial, chronic and progressive disease that has become a major public health problem worldwide. Therefore, it seems necessary to identify risk and protective factors to prevent obesity and treat it. The aim of this study identifying the risk and protective factors of obesity in women.Method: This was descriptive, correlational research. The research sample was ۴۲۹ overweight and obese women who were selected by voluntarily sampling. To collect data, physical activity questionnaire, core beliefs of eating questionnaire, self-criticism questionnaire, shame and guilt scale, self-esteem scale, body image concern questionnaire, stress-anxiety-depression questionnaire, weight self-efficacy questionnaire were used. The obtained data were analyzed using stepwise regression using SPSS ۲۴.Results: The findings showed that among obesity risk factors (core beliefs of eating, self-criticism, shame and guilt, concern about body image, stress-anxiety-depression), core belief of eating, stress and depression are able to predict obesity. Also, the research results showed that among obesity protective factors (weight self-efficacy, self-esteem and physical activity), weight self-efficacy can predict obesity improvement more than other variables.Conclusion: Based on the results of the present research, it can be said that the variables of core beliefs about eating, stress and depression as risk factors and the variable of self-efficacy as a protective factor can predict body mass index

کلیدواژه ها:

risk factors ، protective factors ، psychological factors ، Obesity ، Women