Friends Like Me: Associations in Overweight/Obese Status among Adolescent Friends by Race/Ethnicity, Sex, and Friendship Type

Bruening, Meg; MacLehose, Richard F.; Eisenberg, Marla E.; Kim, Sun Kyung; Story, Mary; Neumark‐Sztainer, Dianne

doi:10.1089/chi.2015.0015

Cited by 12 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…Research has repeatedly shown that overweight youth are less likely to be nominated as friends by others [38, 39], and youth of similar weights tend to cluster, suggesting a possible selection effect [40]. Contrary to much of the research in adolescence [24, 41], we did not observe students sorting into friendships based on BMI similarity.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Friendship as a social mechanism influencing body mass index (BMI) among emerging adults

et al. 2018

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BackgroundSocial relationships have been proposed as a significant factor shaping obesity risk. The first year of college, a period of major social, behavioral, and weight changes, provides a context well-suited to tracking longitudinally the impact of shifting friendships on weight outcomes. This study sought to identify social mechanisms impacting BMI change among emerging adults.MethodsAn analytic sample of 276 college students (71.0% female, 52.2% non-White) provided repeated reports of relationships and BMI was measured up to four times during 2015–2016. Stochastic actor-oriented models were used to examine change in BMI through social influence and change in friendships over time, controlling for sex and race/ethnicity.ResultsAt baseline, mean BMI was 24.2±4.5 kg/m2. Overall, mean BMI increased over time; individual decreases in BMI were uncommon. There was a selection effect of BMI: participants with BMIs between 22 and 26 kg/m2 were most likely to be nominated as a friend. While participants did not select friends based on BMI similarity, participants who were reported as friends were more likely to experience convergence in BMI over time relative to the BMIs of non-friends (p = 0.015). An increase in BMI (versus stability or a decrease) was more likely for those whose friends had a higher BMI on average compared to participants whose friends had the same or lower BMI (OR = 2.85, 95% CI = 1.22, 6.71).ConclusionAnalyses indicated BMI affected friend selection, not through students selecting friends with similar BMI, but rather, by students avoiding friends with more extreme BMI levels.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Friendship as a social mechanism influencing body mass index (BMI) among emerging adults

et al. 2018

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“…Christakis & Fowler (2007) reveal that individuals of the same sex are more likely to be similarly obese (see also Renna et al, 2008). Loh & Li (2013) and Bruening et al (2015) find this effect as well, but for females only. In contrast, Trogdon et al (2008) find no statistically significant difference between BMI similarities among same-sex compared to opposite-sex friends.…”

Section: Bmi Clustering Among Same-sex Friendsmentioning

confidence: 76%

“…While most studies on BMI clustering among adolescents build on data from the United States (Bruening et al, 2015;Centola & van de Rijt, 2015;Halliday & Kwak, 2009;Renna et al, 2008;Schaefer & Simpkins, 2014;Shoham et al, 2012;Simpkins et al, 2013;Trogdon et al, 2008;Valente et al, 2009), a growing amount of research shows BMI clustering elsewhere, such as Australia (de la Haye et al, 2011a), Canada (Leatherdale & Papadakis, 2011), China (Loh & Li, 2013;Nie et al, 2015), Spain (Mora & Gil, 2013), and the Netherlands (de la Haye et al, 2017). Gwozdz et al (2015) investigate several European countries at once and find BMI clustering in Italy, Cyprus, Hungary, and Estonia.…”

Section: Bmi and Social Networkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Notwithstanding this debate, the empirical pattern of BMI clustering is striking (Cunningham et al, 2012;Salvy et al, 2012). Adolescents tend to have a similar BMI as their friends (Bruening et al, 2015;Centola & van de Rijt, 2015;de la Haye et al, 2011a;Halliday & Kwak, 2009;Leatherdale & Papadakis, 2011;Loh & Li, 2013;Nie et al, 2015;Renna et al, 2008;Schaefer & Simpkins, 2014;Shoham et al, 2012;Simpkins et al, 2013;Trogdon et al, 2008;Valente et al, 2009), but evidence for European countries still remains scarce (de la Haye et al, 2017;Gwozdz et al, 2015;Mora & Gil, 2013), and scholars caution that validation outside the United States is needed (Bruening et al, 2015). Drawing on a large dataset with friendship data from 18,133 adolescents in four European countries collected in 2010, we validate previous findings and contribute to the burgeoning literature that establishes BMI clustering among adolescents as a universal phenomenon.…”

Section: Conclusion and Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Some friends matter more than others: BMI clustering among adolescents in four European countries

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2019

Net Sci

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Previous research stresses the importance of social networks for obesity. We draw on friendship data from 18,133 adolescents in four European countries to investigate the relationship between individuals’ body mass index (BMI) and the BMI of their friends. Our study reveals strong evidence for BMI clustering in England, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden; adolescents tend to be friends with others who have a similar BMI. Furthermore, we extend current debate and explore friendship characteristics that moderate the relationship between social networks and BMI. We demonstrate that BMI clustering is more pronounced in (1) strong compared to weak friendships and (2) between adolescents of the same biological sex. These findings indicate thatmore research on social networks and health is needed which distinguishes between different kinds of relationships.

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“…First, we assumed that weight gain was socially influenced but that weight loss behavior (without direct intervention) was not (12,21). In support of this assumption, research has suggested that obesity-related behaviors of children and youth are influenced by each other and adults (22)(23)(24). Thus, children (ages 6-11) and adolescents (ages [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] were assumed to be influenced by other children and adolescents, respectively, as well as by adults (ages 20-39) and middle-aged adults (ages 40-64).…”

Section: Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dynamic Empirically Based Model for Understanding Future Trends in US Obesity Prevalence in the Context of Social Influences

Frerichs

Araz

Calancie

et al. 2019

Obesity

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ObjectiveThis study aimed to (1) identify mechanistic model structures that produced quality fit to historic obesity prevalence trends and (2) evaluate the sensitivity of future obesity prevalence to social transmission and nonsocial parameters.MethodsAn age‐ and gender‐structured compartmental model was used to describe transitions between weight status groups. Four model structures with different combinations of social transmission and nonsocial mechanisms were calibrated to match historic time series and assessed for quality of fit. Projections of overall obesity prevalence to 2052 were simulated, and sensitivity analyses were conducted.ResultsThe model structure that included only nonsocial mechanisms indicated that the overall obesity prevalence in the United States has already stabilized and will increase little more; however, it underestimated observed obesity prevalence since 2013. If social transmission mechanisms influence obesity, the model estimated continued increases in obesity prevalence, reaching 48.0% to 55.1% by 2050. Obesity prevalence was most sensitive to changes in the adult social transmission parameters, especially among women.ConclusionsThe model projected that US obesity prevalence in the overall population will likely continue to increase for decades. The findings that obesity prevalence was most sensitive to adult parameters can be used to inform conversations about priorities for public health and health care programs and policies.

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Friends Like Me: Associations in Overweight/Obese Status among Adolescent Friends by Race/Ethnicity, Sex, and Friendship Type

Abstract: The association between friend and adolescent overweight/obese status depended on adolescents' sex, race/ethnicity, and friendship type. Given the similarities among friends, obesity interventions targeting youth, especially white females, should consider involving friends.

Cited by 12 publications

References 42 publications

Friendship as a social mechanism influencing body mass index (BMI) among emerging adults

Friendship as a social mechanism influencing body mass index (BMI) among emerging adults

Some friends matter more than others: BMI clustering among adolescents in four European countries

Dynamic Empirically Based Model for Understanding Future Trends in US Obesity Prevalence in the Context of Social Influences

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