Obese children, adults and senior citizens in the eyes of the general public: results of a representative study on stigma and causation of obesity.
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Obese children, adults and senior citizens in the eyes of the general public: results of a representative study on stigma and causation of obesity. / Sikorski, Claudia; Luppa, Melanie; Brähler, Elmar; König, Hans-Helmut; Riedel-Heller, Steffi G.
in: PLOS ONE, Jahrgang 7, Nr. 10, 10, 2012, S. 46924.Publikationen: SCORING: Beitrag in Fachzeitschrift/Zeitung › SCORING: Zeitschriftenaufsatz › Forschung › Begutachtung
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Obese children, adults and senior citizens in the eyes of the general public: results of a representative study on stigma and causation of obesity.
AU - Sikorski, Claudia
AU - Luppa, Melanie
AU - Brähler, Elmar
AU - König, Hans-Helmut
AU - Riedel-Heller, Steffi G
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - Obese individuals are blamed for their excess weight based on causal attribution to the individual. It is unclear whether obese individuals of different age groups and gender are faced with the same amount of stigmatization. This information is important in order to identify groups of individuals at risk for higher stigmatization and discrimination. A telephone interview was conducted in a representative sample of 3,003 participants. Experimental manipulation was realized by vignettes describing obese and normal-weight children, adults and senior citizens. Stigmatizing attitudes were measured by semantic differential. Causal attribution was assessed. Internal factors were rated with highest agreement rates as a cause for the vignette's obesity. Lack of activity behavior and eating too much are the most supported causes. Importance of causes differed for the different vignettes. For the child, external causes were considered more important. The overweight vignette was rated consistently more negatively. Higher educational attainment and personal obesity were associated with lower stigmatizing attitudes. The vignette of the obese child was rated more negatively compared to that of an adult or senior citizen. Obesity is seen as a controllable condition, but for children external factors are seen as well. Despite this finding, they are faced with higher stigmatizing attitudes in the general public, contradicting attribution theory assumptions. Internal and external attribution were found to be inter-correlated. Obese children are the population most at risk for being confronted with stigmatization, making them a target point in stigma-reduction campaigns.
AB - Obese individuals are blamed for their excess weight based on causal attribution to the individual. It is unclear whether obese individuals of different age groups and gender are faced with the same amount of stigmatization. This information is important in order to identify groups of individuals at risk for higher stigmatization and discrimination. A telephone interview was conducted in a representative sample of 3,003 participants. Experimental manipulation was realized by vignettes describing obese and normal-weight children, adults and senior citizens. Stigmatizing attitudes were measured by semantic differential. Causal attribution was assessed. Internal factors were rated with highest agreement rates as a cause for the vignette's obesity. Lack of activity behavior and eating too much are the most supported causes. Importance of causes differed for the different vignettes. For the child, external causes were considered more important. The overweight vignette was rated consistently more negatively. Higher educational attainment and personal obesity were associated with lower stigmatizing attitudes. The vignette of the obese child was rated more negatively compared to that of an adult or senior citizen. Obesity is seen as a controllable condition, but for children external factors are seen as well. Despite this finding, they are faced with higher stigmatizing attitudes in the general public, contradicting attribution theory assumptions. Internal and external attribution were found to be inter-correlated. Obese children are the population most at risk for being confronted with stigmatization, making them a target point in stigma-reduction campaigns.
KW - Adult
KW - Humans
KW - Male
KW - Aged
KW - Female
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Aged, 80 and over
KW - Adolescent
KW - Questionnaires
KW - Young Adult
KW - Body Mass Index
KW - Child
KW - Feeding Behavior
KW - Analysis of Variance
KW - Germany/epidemiology
KW - Educational Status
KW - Social Stigma
KW - Stereotyping
KW - Causality
KW - Body Image/psychology
KW - Health Surveys/statistics & numerical data
KW - Obesity/epidemiology/psychology
KW - Sedentary Lifestyle
KW - Adult
KW - Humans
KW - Male
KW - Aged
KW - Female
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Aged, 80 and over
KW - Adolescent
KW - Questionnaires
KW - Young Adult
KW - Body Mass Index
KW - Child
KW - Feeding Behavior
KW - Analysis of Variance
KW - Germany/epidemiology
KW - Educational Status
KW - Social Stigma
KW - Stereotyping
KW - Causality
KW - Body Image/psychology
KW - Health Surveys/statistics & numerical data
KW - Obesity/epidemiology/psychology
KW - Sedentary Lifestyle
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0046924
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0046924
M3 - SCORING: Journal article
VL - 7
SP - 46924
JO - PLOS ONE
JF - PLOS ONE
SN - 1932-6203
IS - 10
M1 - 10
ER -
