ArticleEating and weight disorders : EWD2006
A pilot study on body image, attractiveness and body size in Gambians living in an urban community.
Article in Eating and weight disorders : EWD, 2006. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 26 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
26 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 64 citations in OpenAlex.
- Sex-Specific Obesity and Cardiometabolic Disease Risks in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Meta-Analysis Involving 3 916 276 Individuals.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 2024Pooled it
- Body size preferences for women and adolescent girls living in Africa: a mixed-methods systematic review.Public health nutrition · 2022Pooled it
- Prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in the Gambia: A Systematic Review.Global heart · 2020Pooled it
- African immigrants with type 2 diabetes present with three physiologic subtypes: implications for screening, diagnosis and treatment.BMJ open diabetes research & care · 2026Article
- Figure rating scales used in sub-Saharan africa for body image assessment: a scoping review.BMJ public health · 2025Article
- Knowledge, perceptions and practices towards diabetes risk in sub-Saharan Africa: a mixed-methods scoping review.Public health nutrition · 2024Article
- An Overview of Body Size Preference, Perception and Dissatisfaction in Sub-Saharan Africans Living in the United States.Diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity : targets and therapy · 2024Article
- Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome and its Components in Kanifing Municipality, The Gambia.Medical archives (Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina) · 2021Article
- Socioeconomic inequalities in lifestyle risk factors across low- and middle-income countries.BMC public health · 2021Article
- The silent epidemic of obesity in The Gambia: evidence from a nationwide, population-based, cross-sectional health examination survey.BMJ open · 2020Article
- Exploring Factors Influencing Childhood Obesity Prevention Among Migrant Communities in Victoria, Australia: A Qualitative Study.Journal of immigrant and minority health · 2018Article
- Nutrition Transition and Biocultural Determinants of Obesity among Cameroonian Migrants in Urban Cameroon and France.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2017Article
- A cross-sectional study on obesity and related risk factors among women of the central market of Lusonga in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo.The Pan African medical journal · 2017Article
- Body image perception of African immigrants in Europe.Globalization and health · 2016Review
- Stunting and weight statuses of adolescents differ between public and private schools in urban Gambia.International journal of public health · 2016Article
- Profile of people with hypertension in Nairobi's slums: a descriptive study.Globalization and health · 2015Article
- Hypertension prevalence, awareness, treatment and control in Dakar (Senegal).Journal of human hypertension · 2014Article
- Associations between macrolevel economic factors and weight distributions in low- and middle-income countries: a multilevel analysis of 200,000 adults in 40 countries.American journal of public health · 2014Article
- Overweight and obesity profiles in Niger Delta Region, Nigeria.African journal of primary health care & family medicine · 2014Article
- National economic development and disparities in body mass index: a cross-sectional study of data from 38 countries.PloS one · 2014Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveWe investigated the attitudinal and perceptual components of body image and its link with body mass index (BMI) in a sample of urban Gambians. We also looked at cross-cultural differences in body image and views on attractiveness between Gambians and Americans.
methodsFour groups of 50 subjects were assessed: men 14- 25y (YM); women 14-25y (YW); men 35-50y (OM); women 35-50y (OW). Socio-economic status, education, healthy lifestyle and western influences were investigated. Height and weight were measured. Body dissatisfaction was assessed with the body dissatisfaction scale of the Eating Disorder Inventory. Perceptions of body image and attractiveness were assessed using the Body Image Assessment for Obesity (BIA-O) and Figure Rating Scale (FRS).
resultsDifferent generations of Gambians had very different perceptions and attitudes towards obesity. Current body size was realistically perceived and largely well tolerated. Older women had a higher body discrepancy (current minus ideal body size) than other groups (p<0.001). Regression analysis showed they were not worried about their body size until they were overweight (BMI=27.8 kg/m2), whilst OM, YM and YW started to be concerned at a BMI respectively of 22.9, 19.8 and 21.5 kg/m2. A cross-cultural comparison using published data on FRS showed that Gambians were more obesity tolerant than black and white Americans. DISCUSSION: The Gambia is a country in the early stage of demographic transitions but in urban areas there is an increase in obesity prevalence. Inherent tensions between the preservation of cultural values and traditional habits, and raising awareness of the risks of obesity, may limit health interventions to prevent weight gain.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.