Self-perception of weight, physical condition, and health-related behaviors in male Japanese bus drivers

抄録

 Objectives: This study determined the impact of self-perception of weight and lifestyle on the physical condition and health problems of male Japanese bus drivers.
 Subjects and Methods: The study participants included 532 male Japanese bus drivers (20-65 years old) working at a transportation company in Ishikawa Prefecture. We used a self-administered questionnaire to assess weight self-perceptions and 10 lifestyle characteristics during health examinations in the summer of 2014. The participants were grouped into three categories based on their self-perception of weight (overweight, normal weight, and underweight). Participants’ self-perception of weight was compared with actual BMI to assess overestimation, accurate estimation, and underestimation of body weight. We also examined the association between laboratory test results, 10 health-related behaviors, and perceived weight status within the three BMI categories.
 Results: The percentages of the total participants who perceived themselves as overweight, normal weight, and underweight were 64.3%, 23.1%, and 12.6%, respectively. In Total, 56.0% of total participant accurately perceived their body weight. In addition, the weight perception of many participants appeared to have been affected by actual body weight and laboratory test results. Only three health-related behaviors showed a significant difference among BMI classifications; however, other health-related behaviors, such as dietary habits, alcohol consumption, and smoking behaviors, were worse than national survey data for all groups.
 Conclusions: The results suggest the possibility that male bus drivers’ weight self-perception is associated with laboratory test results and that having a good self-perception of weight leads to better lifestyle habits.