Perceptions and practices regarding snack consumption among women with varying weight statuses

Abstract

The changing nature of working environment and lifestyle across the globe is creating a need for people to eat inexpensive meals outside their homes. Snacking is becoming more popular among women, resulting in several health problems. The aim of this study was to compare normal-weight, overweight, and obese women's perceptions and practices regarding snacking patterns and serving size of such meals. For this purpose, a cross- sectional survey using convenience sampling was conducted on 150 healthy adult (>18 years) females residing in Lahore. A self-designed questionnaire containing the sections anthropometric measurements (BMI), perceptions about snacking (9 items on 5 point Likert scale of agreement) and practices about snack consumption (11 items- closed ended questions about frequency and portion size) was used and distributed among the respondents using Google forms. After segregating data for various BMI statuses, statistical analysis was conducted using Microsoft Excel and the results were presented as frequencies and percentages. The findings revealed that majority the participants gave neutral response, with the least of them agreeing that snacking is an unhealthy dietary activity. It was observed that 50% of the underweight women were unaware of the consequences of snacking. It was concluded that individuals with lower BMI showed weaker perceptions and practices regarding snack consumption as compared to those that belonged to other weight categories. It is recommended that individual behavior should be diverted in favour of healthy snacking and developing healthy eating strategies that can be adopted at home, in school and on community level to overcome obesity.