Stress Level and the Use of Coping Strategies of Parents of Autistic Children

Nivel de estrés y el uso de estrategias de afrontamiento de padres de niños autistas | 自闭症儿童父母的压力水平及应对策略使用情况

Abstract

Introduction: Obesity and overweight constitute global public health challenges, negatively impacting more than one billion people. They are accompanied by significant psychological and social consequences, notably weight stigma, which has severe repercussions on mental and physical well-being. Health professionals are directly involved with this issue; however, few studies address weight stigma in Chile. Objective: To examine the association between nutritional status (BMI) and the level of weight stigma in university students from health-related fields in the Ñuble region, Chile. Methodology: A cross-sectional descriptive observational design was used. The GAMS-27 scale was applied to evaluate weight stigma, and BMI was used to assess the nutritional status of 156 health career students. Chi-square independence tests and binary logistic regression were applied to evaluate the association between variables, using R version 4.3.0 statistical software. Results: A statistically significant association was found between weight stigma and nutritional status (p=0.0145). Having a normal BMI (p=0.0163) and being female (p=0.0156) were associated with a higher likelihood of presenting weight bias. Conclusions: This study identified a statistically significant association between weight stigma and nutritional status in university students. It is vital to promote education regarding weight stigma among university students to prevent prejudice and enhance respect towards future users.