Does weight impact adolescent mental health? Evidence from China

Wang, Si; Yang, Qingqing

doi:10.1002/hec.4574

Cited by 2 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 93 publications

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“…The CFPS database tracks and collects information at the individual, household, and community levels, covering a wide range of research topics, including economic activities, family relationships and dynamics, population migration, and health. These data have been widely used in health research ( 45 , 46 ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The impact of internet use on adolescents’ health: empirical evidence from China

Du,

Liu,

Zhang

et al. 2024

Front. Psychiatry

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BackgroundWith the continuous improvement in economic levels in various countries and the rapid development of the Internet, adolescents’ Internet use has become increasingly frequent. Many studies have explored the relationship between Internet use and adolescent health, but the possible mechanisms involved are unclear, and few have focused on Chinese adolescents.MethodsBased on the data from the China Family Panel Studies 2010, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020, this study used the ordered probit model and OLS model to explore the impact of Internet use on self-rated health and mental health of Chinese adolescents and analyzed the possible mechanisms and heterogeneity involved.ResultsThe results revealed that adolescents’ Internet use negatively affected their physical and mental health. Parent-child conflict, academic performance, and self-efficacy were the important mechanisms of internet use affecting adolescents’ health. Moreover, the negative effects of Internet use on adolescents’ physical and mental health were heterogeneous in boarding, mother’s education level, and family per capita income.ConclusionAdolescents exhibit a pattern of using the internet that influences their health status. Our finding that internet use may decrease adolescents’ health provides important insights into understanding the relationship between internet use behavior and adolescents’ health and suggests that intervention should be taken on adolescents’ internet use.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Based on previous studies ( 28 , 46 ), we controlled for variables that may affect adolescent health, including individual, behavioral, family, and provincial dummy variables. Individual variables included age, gender(male/female, as assigned at birth), ethnicity, residence, academic stage, and whether they were in a single-parent family.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of internet use on adolescents’ health: empirical evidence from China

Du,

Liu,

Zhang

et al. 2024

Front. Psychiatry

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“…The literature shows complex associations between body mass index (BMI) and mental health . Studies in South Korea, eastern London, and the US observed a U-shaped BMI–mental health association .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies in South Korea, eastern London, and the US observed a U-shaped BMI–mental health association . However, these studies often focus on single countries or short periods, limiting a comprehensive analysis across multiple countries and over time. Examining data from various countries and over extended periods allows for a better understanding of these trends in different cultural contexts and the influence of societal changes on the association between BMI and mental health.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dose-Dependent Association Between Body Mass Index and Mental Health and Changes Over Time

Chen,

Zhang,

Gao

et al. 2024

JAMA Psychiatry

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ImportanceOverweight and obesity affect 340 million adolescents worldwide and constitute a risk factor for poor mental health. Understanding the association between body mass index (BMI) and mental health in adolescents may help to address rising mental health issues; however, existing studies lack comprehensive evaluations spanning diverse countries and periods.ObjectiveTo estimate the association between BMI and mental health and examine changes over time from 2002 to 2018.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis was a repeated multicountry cross-sectional study conducted between 2002 and 2018 and utilizing data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey in Europe and North America. The study population consisted of more than 1 million adolescents aged 11 to 15 years, with all surveyed children included in the analysis. Data were analyzed from October 2022 to March 2023.Main Outcomes and MeasuresMental health difficulties were measured by an 8-item scale for psychological concerns, scoring from 0 to 32, where a higher score reflects greater psychosomatic issues. BMI was calculated using weight divided by height squared and adjusted for age and sex. Data were fitted by multilevel generalized additive model. Confounders included sex, living with parents, sibling presence, academic pressure, the experience of being bullied, family affluence, screen time, and physical activity.ResultsOur analysis of 1 036 869 adolescents surveyed from 2002 to 2018, with a mean (SD) age of 13.55 (1.64) years and comprising 527 585 girls (50.9%), revealed a consistent U-shaped association between BMI and mental health. After accounting for confounders, adolescents with low body mass and overweight or obesity had increased psychosomatic symptoms compared to those with healthy weight (unstandardized β, 0.14; 95% CI, 0.08 to 0.19; unstandardized β, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.24 to 0.30; and unstandardized β, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.56 to 0.67, respectively), while adolescents with underweight had fewer symptoms (unstandardized β, −0.18; 95% CI, −0.22 to −0.15). This association was observed across different years, sex, and grade, indicating a broad relevance to adolescent mental health. Compared to 2002, psychosomatic concerns increased significantly in 2006 (unstandardized β, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.11 to 0.26), 2010 (unstandardized β, 0.14; 95% CI, 0.07 to 0.22), 2014 (unstandardized β, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.40 to 0.56), and 2018 (unstandardized β, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.74 to 0.89). Girls reported significantly higher psychosomatic concerns than boys (unstandardized β, 2.27; 95% CI, 2.25 to 2.30). Compared to primary school, psychosomatic concerns rose significantly in middle school (unstandardized β, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.12 to 1.18) and in high school (unstandardized β, 2.12; 95% CI, 2.09 to 2.15).Conclusions and RelevanceOur study revealed a U-shaped association between adolescent BMI and mental health, which was consistent across sex and grades and became stronger over time. These insights emphasize the need for targeted interventions addressing body image and mental health, and call for further research into underlying mechanisms.

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Does weight impact adolescent mental health? Evidence from China

Cited by 2 publications

References 93 publications

The impact of internet use on adolescents’ health: empirical evidence from China

The impact of internet use on adolescents’ health: empirical evidence from China

Dose-Dependent Association Between Body Mass Index and Mental Health and Changes Over Time

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