科研之友
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摘要
Purpose: The purpose of our study was to separately examine past (i.e., rural or non-rural background) and present (i.e., current rural or urban location) influences of rurality on the weight status and diet/exercise behaviors of lesbians. Methods: A total of 895 lesbians participated in the online study. Participants were surveyed regarding their rurality status, weight/height, and diet/exercise patterns. A 2 x 2 (location x background) ANCOVA was conducted to explore influences of rurality on body mass index (BMI), while controlling for age, race, and education. Chi-square analyses were used to examine the relationship between dimensions of rurality and diet/exercise behaviors. Results: There was a significant main effect of current location on BMI. No significant interaction between location and background on BMI was found nor was there a significant main effect of background. Lesbians currently living in rural areas were on average obese (M = 30.61), with significantly higher BMIs than urban-residing lesbians (M = 28.53). The only significant differences that emerged for lesbians' diet/exercise patterns were for current location-more rural-residing lesbians reported they never engage in exercise in comparison to their urban-residing counterparts, with a greater percentage of urban-residing lesbians reporting frequent exercise. Rural lesbians were also more likely to report a diet high in protein. Conclusion: Findings suggest that current rather than past influences of rurality may have a significant impact on lesbians' weight and diet/exercise behaviors and highlight significant obesity-related health disparities for rural-residing lesbians. These findings offer support for the development of culturally-appropriate healthy diet/exercise and weight promotion efforts that are accessible to rural lesbians.
- 出版日期2015-6
