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The body weight of women of childbearing age living in Malaysia : quantitative and qualitative perspectives
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Choo, Sook (2019) The body weight of women of childbearing age living in Malaysia : quantitative and qualitative perspectives. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.
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WRAP_Theses_Choo_2019.pdf - Submitted Version - Requires a PDF viewer. Download (13Mb) | Preview |
Official URL: http://webcat.warwick.ac.uk/record=b3492093~S15
Abstract
Background
Ethnic inequalities in the body weight of childbearing aged women 18-49 years old in Malaysia, are not fully appreciated. The aims of this research were two. First, to identify the patterns of underweight, pre-overweight, overweight, obesity and the mean BMI of Malaysian Malay women, Malaysian Chinese women, Malaysian Indian women and women of Other Indigenous People Minority Groups and their associated socioeconomic factors. Second, to explore women’s perspective as regards to the meanings of body weight and the factors associated with weight maintenance, gain or weight loss.
Methods
Drawing from the interpretivism and positivism realm and within the framework of Social Determinants of Health, a sequential mixed methods approach was used to address the above aims. In the first phase of the study, two secondary data analyses of 1996, 2006, 2011 and 2015 Malaysia National Health and Morbidity Survey data were conducted using multilevel and logistic modelling techniques. The findings generated from the first phase of the study informed the undertaking of semi-structured interviews in the second phase.
Results
The results of secondary data analyses found evidence on the presence of educational inequalities in mean BMI across women of four main ethnic groups. There was a negative education level-mean BMI gradient among Malaysian Chinese women in 1996, 2006 and 2011, respectively. The same pattern was observed among Malaysian Malay women in 2011. Hence, the better education, the lower mean BMI for these women. There was a shift in educational-mean BMI patterning from positive gradient in 2006 to negative gradient in 2015 for women of Other Indigenous Minority Ethnic Groups. Among Malaysian Indian women, there was no education level gradient in mean BMI. The 18 semi-structured interviews supported the findings of Malaysian Chinese women in secondary data analyses by emphasising how traditional and modern, as well as local culture interacted with contextual factors in influencing their body weight via eating and or exercise.
Conclusions
The findings provide an understanding of the educational patterning of mean BMI among women of four main ethnic groups, and how cultural and contextual factors potentially contributed to such patterning and the practice.
Item Type: | Thesis (PhD) | ||||
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Subjects: | H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine |
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Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Body weight -- Malaysia, Women -- Malaysia -- Economic conditions, Women -- Malaysia -- Social conditions | ||||
Official Date: | September 2019 | ||||
Dates: |
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Institution: | University of Warwick | ||||
Theses Department: | Warwick Medical School | ||||
Thesis Type: | PhD | ||||
Publication Status: | Unpublished | ||||
Supervisor(s)/Advisor: | Blackburn, Clare, 1967- ; Markham, Wolfgang | ||||
Format of File: | |||||
Extent: | xii, 461 leaves : illustrations (some colour), map | ||||
Language: | eng |
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