Is the Effect of Body Dissatisfaction on Depressive Symptoms Dependent on Weight Status? A Study with Early-to-Middle Adolescents

Abstract

Depression is a recognized mental health problem in adolescence and body dissatisfaction is an important risk factor. The main goal of this study is to examine the relationship between body dissatisfaction and depressive symptoms, and whether it depends on adolescents’ weight status, an issue that remains understudied. Two hundred and fourteen adolescents (12–16 years) completed self-report measures of depressive symptoms, body dissatisfaction and weight status (i.e., current body weight and height, to compute body mass index z-scores, BMIz). Hierarchical multiple regression and moderation analyses were conducted, accounting for gender and age effects on depressive symptoms. Body dissatisfaction was found to be a predictor of depressive symptoms for the low and median BMIz adolescents, but not for those with high BMIz. In addition, this interaction of body dissatisfaction and BMIz improved the ability of the regression model to explain depressive symptoms´ variance beyond the effect of gender and age. The high-BMIz adolescents presented higher body dissatisfaction but similar levels of depressive symptoms, compared to the lower BMIz adolescents. These findings suggest the influence of body dissatisfaction in the emergence of depressive symptoms in the first half of adolescence, and the importance of weight status throughout this path.

Potential biopsychosocial factors mediating/moderating the relationship between depressive symptoms and body size among children and adolescents: A systematic review

“…33 Taken together, future studies should aim to characterize the complex relationship among body image, depression, and body size, in order to develop strategies for treating weight misperceptions that are effective for youth with cooccurring overweight/obesity and depression. 7,53 Bullying and victimization is an additional factor identified as a potential mediator or moderator of the relationship between body size and depression in children and adolescents, including peer bullying victimization, perceived peer isolation, weight-related teasing, perceived parental teasing, and parental psychological control. 21,22,[33][34][35][36][37]54 One study reported that the weight-related victimization starts from childhood and becomes common in adolescents and young adulthood.…”

“…Eight studies indicated that the relationship between BMI and depression is mediated by body image (e.g., perceived overweight and greater weight concern) in boys and girls. 7,21,22,[33][34][35][36][37] These studies consist of five cross-sectional studies and three longitudinal studies. Among them, two studies reported that the mediating effects of body dissatisfaction and pressure to be thin were only observed in girls but not in boys.…”

“…38 One study explored the moderating role of body image, which reported that the interaction of body dissatisfaction with BMI zscores, along with the interaction between age and gender, is a predictor of adolescents' depressive symptoms. 7…”

Self-Perception of Body Weight in Schoolchildren in Northeastern Mexico

“…Although the desire to lose weight arises from an early age, a greater number of preadolescent girls go to weight loss clinics, citing body dissatisfaction; the studies also indicate that age corresponds to the first stage of the transition toward adolescence, with important physical changes. Furthermore, they have already acquired the cultural norms and stereotypes underlying attractiveness [ 42 ].…”

Attachment and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescence: The Mediatory Role of Emotion Awareness

“…In current societies, depressive symptoms seriously threaten adolescents’ mental health and socioemotional adjustment [ 1 ]. In this context, research about a diversity of risk factors and mechanisms for depression has been encouraged [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]. Therefore, this article focuses on the possible contribution of attachment and emotion awareness to depression in early to late adolescents.…”