The relationship between weight status and psychopathology in adolescence: The role of social support

Freitas-Rosa, Marta; Gonçalves, Sónia; Antunes, Henedina

doi:10.1177/1359105313482162

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…Also, older adolescents’ self-esteem and self-perception may rely more on peer judgment and social feedback than actual body weight . Research shows adolescents seek body image validation and are heavily influenced by peers’ attitudes toward body image and mental health . Additionally, the surge in depression among adolescent girls might diminish the relative impact of BMI z scores, as their overall mental distress is already high.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…35,36 Research shows adolescents seek body image validation 65 and are heavily influenced by peers' attitudes toward body image and mental health. 50,66 Additionally, the surge in depression among adolescent girls might diminish the relative impact of BMI z scores, as their overall mental distress is already high. This could also explain the stronger BMI z score-body dissatisfaction association in girls, who often report greater body dissatisfaction.…”

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confidence: 99%

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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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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

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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“…Previous studies also found relevant results in this domain. There is some evidence that social support mediates the relationship between weight and psychopathology in adolescence (Freitas-Rosa et al, 2013). Geographic location, gender, and nutritional status also seem to play an important role in body image concerns among adolescents (Laus et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lifestyle and treatment adherence among overweight adolescents

et al. 2014

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This study evaluated the influence of overweight adolescents' lifestyle on the adherence to weight control, and identifies their predictors. Participants were 94 adolescents, aged 12-18 years, attending a Paediatric Obesity Clinic. Lifestyle was assessed using the "Adolescent Lifestyle Profile" and treatment adherence through the "Therapeutic Adherence to Weight Control Questionnaire." Adherence to weight control was associated with various lifestyle domains. Several predictors were identified for lifestyle and adherence to weight control among overweight adolescents. A broad array of inter-correlations and predictors were identified and should be taken into account when designing adolescent weight control interventions.

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Role of Body Dissatisfaction in Developmental Psychopathology Among the Adolescents with Obesity: A Matched Case Control Study

et al. 2017

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The relationship between weight status and psychopathology in adolescence: The role of social support

Cited by 3 publications

References 42 publications

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

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

Lifestyle and treatment adherence among overweight adolescents

Role of Body Dissatisfaction in Developmental Psychopathology Among the Adolescents with Obesity: A Matched Case Control Study

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