The association between self perceptions of psychological well-being and overweight in Brazilian children
Silvia Alexius2010, Maternal & Child Nutrition
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Abstract
Our objective was to estimate the prevalence and test the association between psychological well-being and overweight in children. We conducted a cross-sectional study using anthropometrical measures and interviews with 1048 6-10-year-old school children from a Brazilian town. Overweight was assessed by the body mass index and included obesity. Psychological data of children and their parents were collected using a face scale. Poisson regression models were used to test the associations and to obtain unadjusted and adjusted prevalence ratios (PR). The prevalence of overweight was of 15.3% (95% CI: 13.2-17.6) and of only obesity was 3.8% (2.8-5.2). After controlling for age, sex, school type and parental overweight, the prevalence of overweight was 52% and 44% higher in children who reported a psychological dissatisfaction in themselves and in their mothers when compared with those with positive self perception (PR = 1.52 95% CI = 1.02-2.28; P = 0.038) and (PR = 1.44 95% CI = 1.00-2.09; P = 0.049), respectively. The study suggests that actions aiming weight control of children should take into account psychological aspects of children and their families.
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The association between self perceptions of psychological well-being and overweight in Brazilian childrenm cn_267 267..274
Our objective was to estimate the prevalence and test the association between psychological well-being and overweight in children. We conducted a cross-sectional study using anthropometrical measures and interviews with 1048 6-10-year-old school children from a Brazilian town. Overweight was assessed by the body mass index and included obesity. Psychological data of children and their parents were collected using a face scale. Poisson regression models were used to test the associations and to obtain unadjusted and adjusted prevalence ratios (PR). The prevalence of overweight was of 15.3% (95% CI: 13.2-17.6) and of only obesity was 3.8% (2.8-5.2). After controlling for age, sex, school type and parental overweight, the prevalence of overweight was 52% and 44% higher in children who reported a psychological dissatisfaction in themselves and in their mothers when compared with those with positive self perception (PR = 1.52 95% CI = 1.02-2.28; P = 0.038) and (PR = 1.44 95% CI = 1.00-2.09; P = 0.049), respectively. The study suggests that actions aiming weight control of children should take into account psychological aspects of children and their families.
The association between self perceptions of psychological well-being and overweight in Brazilian children: Psychological well-being and children's overweight
Maternal and Child Nutrition, 2010
Our objective was to estimate the prevalence and test the association between psychological well-being and overweight in children. We conducted a cross-sectional study using anthropometrical measures and interviews with 1048 6–10-year-old school children from a Brazilian town. Overweight was assessed by the body mass index and included obesity. Psychological data of children and their parents were collected using a face scale. Poisson regression models were used to test the associations and to obtain unadjusted and adjusted prevalence ratios (PR). The prevalence of overweight was of 15.3% (95% CI: 13.2–17.6) and of only obesity was 3.8% (2.8–5.2). After controlling for age, sex, school type and parental overweight, the prevalence of overweight was 52% and 44% higher in children who reported a psychological dissatisfaction in themselves and in their mothers when compared with those with positive self perception (PR = 1.52 95% CI = 1.02–2.28; P = 0.038) and (PR = 1.44 95% CI = 1.00–2.09; P = 0.049), respectively. The study suggests that actions aiming weight control of children should take into account psychological aspects of children and their families.
Body weight dissatisfaction and its correlates among Brazilian adolescents
Medical Express, 2015
OBJECTIVE: This study examined the prevalence of body weight dissatisfaction and its relationship to physical activity and nutritional status in adolescents. METHOD: The study enrolled 2,288 adolescents. The dependent variable was body weight dissatisfaction. The independent variables were physical activity and nutritional status. The confounders were gender, and economic condition. Associations between dependent and independent variables were analyzed through the chi-square test and the magnitude of the associations was estimated by Poisson regression. RESULTS: A total of 56.6% of adolescents were not satisfied with their weight, with 17.9% wanting to increase it, while 37.7% wanted to decrease their weight. In boys and girls, body weight dissatisfaction was associated with nutritional status, abdominal obesity and physical activity in crude analyses. After adjustments, nutritional status and abdominal obesity remained significantly associated to body weight dissatisfaction in both sexes. CONCLUSION: A high prevalence of body weight dissatisfaction was identified, which was associated with the nutritional status and abdominal obesity in adolescents.
Children’s perception on obesity and quality of life: a Mexican survey
BMC Pediatrics, 2014
Background: Child obesity has become a major health problem worldwide. In order to design successful intervention strategies, it is necessary to understand how children perceive obesity and its consequences. Methods: With the aim to evaluate scholar children perception of obesity as a significant factor on the quality of life, we developed and validated the "Obesity impact on the quality of life perception-questionnaire" (ObI-Q). We surveyed 1335 healthy children aged 6-12 years, randomly selected from elementary schools in Mexico City. The ObI-Q comprises eight multiple-choice items that explore aspects related to the quality of life during adult life; such as health, life span, emotional status, lifestyle, social recognition and economic status. In order to identify perceptional modifier factors, results were analyzed through multivariable logistic regression. Variables included gender, age, and child nutritional status, as well as the child's perception of parental nutritional status. Results: ObI-Q results showed that most children (64.71%) considered obesity as a negative condition that influences health and social performance. This perception was inversely related to age (OR = 0.64, p = 0.003), as well as to the perception of their mother nutritional status (OR = 0.47, p = 0.01). Conclusions: This study provides an overview of children's perception on obesity and its consequences. Because the high proportion of schoolchildren who do not view obesity as an adverse consequence to the quality of life, then the results of this study could be used as part of strategies for the prevention of overweight and obesity.
10: Perception of overweight and obesity among Portuguese youth
The European Journal of Public Health
A national, representative school-based sample of Portuguese youth was used to both identify psychosocial indicators that distinguish obese and overweight adolescents from their peers, and key explainers of body image among obese and overweight adolescents. Methods: Data on 5697 sixth, eighth and tenth grade public school students, age 11-16 years, from Portugal who participated in the 1998 (HBSC/WHO) survey of adolescent health were analysed. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated based on self-reported weight and height. Body image was measured using a body image tool with a sequence of seven body silhouettes progressing from very thin to overweight. BMI was calculated by reported weight/height (kg/m 2), and was categorized based on Cole normalization curve. Adolescents whose BMI was above the 95th percentile (obese) and those with a BMI between 85 and 95 (overweight) were compared with the remainder. Separate analyses of psychosocial variables were conducted by gender, using the x 2-test, t-tests, ANOVA and multiple linear regression. Results: There was a significant difference in physical activity between obese and non-obese youth (P , 0.05). Girls reported dieting more than boys (P , 0.001), with 15.3% of overweight teens dieting versus 6% of non-overweight teens. Those classified as overweight were significantly more likely to describe themselves as not healthy (P , 0.001). A significantly greater proportion of obese/overweight versus non-overweight youth reported difficulty in making friends (P , 0.001). BMI (b ¼ 0.491; P ¼ 0.000), age (b ¼ 20.413; P ¼ 0.000), involvement in dieting (b ¼ 0.110; P ¼ 0.000) and attitude toward appearance (b ¼ 0.032; P ¼ 0.007) were significantly associated with body image. Conclusions: Inaccurate perceptions of the need to diet, poorer self-perceived health status and potential social isolation of those who are overweight were found. The importance of these findings to health promotion strategies is discussed.
Cross-sectional psychosocial differences between clinical and nonclinical samples of overweight adolescents
Archives of Exercise in Health and Disease
The purpose of this study is to explore the psychosocial characteristics of overweight adolescents involved in a clinical program and compare them to two reference groups of populations living in the same region (overweight and normal weight). Design: The intervention group included 76 overweight adolescents who followed a multidisciplinary obesity program. The reference/community groups included 399 overweight and 413 normal-weight adolescents from the 2006 Portuguese survey of Health Behaviour School Children, a cross-sectional and international World Health Organization collaborative study. All variables were measured by the 2006 Health Behaviour School-Age Children self-reported questionnaire. Results: Comparisons between groups showed that adolescents following the program reported more psychological symptoms and lower scores in life satisfaction, health perception, body image and appearance. On the other hand, they reported more frequent physical activity and fruit consumption when compared to the overweight community group. Additionally, they watched less television than normal-weight community adolescents. Adolescents seeking clinical treatment had the lowest psychological scores; in regard to the lifestyle behaviour, the results were marginally higher. Conclusion: Physical activity and appearance represented two key predictors of life satisfaction that usually indicate modified barriers to weight change and wellbeing. The differences between genders will also be discussed further.
Childhood obesity, self-esteem, and health-related quality of life among urban primary school children in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.
This study aimed to determine the association between obesity, self-esteem and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among urban primary school children in Kuching, Malaysia. A cross-sectional study involving 311 children aged 12 years was done using the LAWSEQ questionnaire and Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL). The prevalence of overweight was 18.2% and obesity was 15.2%. Both parent and child self-reported PedsQL scores were higher for normal weight children compared to thin and obese, but lower than overweight children. Only parent-proxy PedsQL scores in both psychosocial health and emotional component were significant different between overweight and obese children (p=0.019, p=0.02). Self esteem score was found to be significantly correlated with parent and child PedsQL scores. Both parent and child PedsQL score among overweight group was found to be higher than normal weight group. This findings help to increase public awareness on the impact of obesity on all aspects of functioning.
The impact of obesity on the perception of self-concept in children and adolescents O impacto da obesidade na percepção do autoconceito em crianças e adolescentes
2015
The impact of obesity on the perception of self-concept in children and adolescents O impacto da obesidade na percepção do autoconceito em crianças e adolescentes
Overweight and obesity of children in a brazilian elementary school: a comparison of three references
Journal of Human Growth and Development, 2016
Introduction: In the diagnosis of overweight and obesity based on body mass index in children and adolescents, several national and international anthropometric references are recommended. However, there is a divergence in the estimated prevalence of overweight and obesity among the references. Objective: To identify the prevalence of overweight and obesity and to analyse the magnitude of agreement among the three references. Methods: A cross-sectional study with 975 students from the early grades of elementary school. The prevalence of overweight and obesity were estimated according to the criteria of the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) and Conde and Monteiro. The Kappa weighted index was calculated to assess the agreement magnitude among the three references. Results: The highest prevalence of overweight and obesity was estimated by the Conde and Monteiro and WHO references, respectively. Overall, the IOTF revealed lower a magnitude of ...
Body image, body dissatisfaction and weight status in children from Emilia-Romagna (Italy): Comparison between immigrant and native-born
2014
Background: Childhood obesity is a continuing problem in the UK and South Asian children represent a group that are particularly vulnerable to its health consequences. The relationship between body dissatisfaction and obesity is well documented in older children and adults, but is less clear in young children, particularly South Asians. A better understanding of this relationship in young South Asian children will inform the design and delivery of obesity intervention programmes. The aim of this study is to describe body image size perception and dissatisfaction, and their relationship to weight status in primary school aged UK South Asian children. Methods: Objective measures of height and weight were undertaken on 574 predominantly South Asian children aged 5-7 (296 boys and 278 girls). BMI z-scores, and weight status (underweight, healthy weight, overweight or obese) were calculated based on the UK 1990 BMI reference charts. Figure rating scales were used to assess perceived body image size (asking children to identify their perceived body size) and dissatisfaction (difference between perceived current and ideal body size). The relationship between these and weight status were examined using multivariate analyses. Results: Perceived body image size was positively associated with weight status (partial regression coefficient for overweight/obese vs. non-overweight/obese was 0.63 (95% CI 0.26-0.99) and for BMI z-score was 0.21 (95% CI 0.10-0.31), adjusted for sex, age and ethnicity). Body dissatisfaction was also associated with weight status, with overweight and obese children more likely to select thinner ideal body size than healthy weight children (adjusted partial regression coefficient for overweight/obese vs. non-overweight/obese was 1.47 (95% CI 0.99-1.96) and for BMI z-score was 0.54 (95% CI 0.40-0.67)). Conclusions: Awareness of body image size and increasing body dissatisfaction with higher weight status is established at a young age in this population. This needs to be considered when designing interventions to reduce obesity in young children, in terms of both benefits and harms.
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Perception of overweight and obesity among Portuguese adolescents: an overview of associated factors
European Journal of Public Health, 2005
Purpose: A national, representative school-based sample of Portuguese youth was used to both identify psychosocial indicators that distinguish obese and overweight adolescents from their peers, and key explainers of body image among obese and overweight adolescents. Methods: Data on 5697 sixth, eighth and tenth grade public school students, age 11 -16 years, from Portugal who participated in the 1998 (HBSC/WHO) survey of adolescent health were analysed. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated based on self-reported weight and height. Body image was measured using a body image tool with a sequence of seven body silhouettes progressing from very thin to overweight. BMI was calculated by reported weight/height (kg/m 2 ), and was categorized based on Cole normalization curve. Adolescents whose BMI was above the 95th percentile (obese) and those with a BMI between 85 and 95 (overweight) were compared with the remainder. Separate analyses of psychosocial variables were conducted by gender, using the x 2 -test, t-tests, ANOVA and multiple linear regression. Results: There was a significant difference in physical activity between obese and non-obese youth (P , 0.05). Girls reported dieting more than boys (P , 0.001), with 15.3% of overweight teens dieting versus 6% of non-overweight teens. Those classified as overweight were significantly more likely to describe themselves as not healthy (P , 0.001). A significantly greater proportion of obese/overweight versus non-overweight youth reported difficulty in making friends (P , 0.001). BMI (b ¼ 0.491; P ¼ 0.000), age (b ¼ 20.413; P ¼ 0.000), involvement in dieting (b ¼ 0.110; P ¼ 0.000) and attitude toward appearance (b ¼ 0.032; P ¼ 0.007) were significantly associated with body image. Conclusions: Inaccurate perceptions of the need to diet, poorer self-perceived health status and potential social isolation of those who are overweight were found. The importance of these findings to health promotion strategies is discussed.
Self-perception in overweight and obese children: a cross-sectional study
Child Care Health and Development, 2009
Aim The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between obesity and self-esteem in children in relation to specific domains of their self-perception, and further to explore the extent to which this may vary by gender and economic circumstances. Method A total of 211 children aged 8–9 years drawn from both advantaged and disadvantaged areas of Belfast completed the Harter Self-Perception Profile for Children and measures of body mass index were obtained. Results Overweight, impoverished children had significantly reduced social acceptance and physical competence scores. Boys had significantly lower scores than girls in the behavioural conduct domain. Girls had significantly lower scores than boys for the athletic competence. Conclusion These results suggest that risk factors of increased weight and impoverished backgrounds have a combined negative effect, placing some children at increased risk of having lower self-perceptions in some, but not all domains. Health interventions for childhood obesity should consider the likelihood of specific relationships between physical and psychosocial factors.
Self-image, self-esteem and depression in children and adolescents with and without obesity
Gaceta de M�xico
Introduction: In Mexico, the prevalence of childhood obesity is 35%, and it continues to increase. Objective: To determine the correlation between self-image, self-esteem and depression in children aged 8 to 14 years with and without obesity. Methods: Cross-sectional, comparative study of 295 children: 116 with overweight/obesity (group 1) and 179 with normal weight (group 2). Body mass index, scholarship, school achievement, school problems, socioeconomic status, self-image (current, desired), satisfaction, self-esteem and presence of depression were recorded. Descriptive statistics, Spearman's rho and Mann-Whitney's U-test were used; a p-value ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. Results: In group 1, 53.4% perceived themselves as with normal weight, and in 77.6%, the desired self-image was normal weight; 67.2% wanted to be slimmer; in 53.4%, self-esteem was high, and 75.9% had no depression. In group 2, current self-image was normal weight in 79.3%, and the desired self-image was normal weight in 85.5%; 35.2% wanted to be slimmer; self-esteem was high in 49.7% and 77.1% had no depression. Significant correlations were observed for self-esteem-depression (r = 0.228) and self-esteem-socioeconomic status (r = 0.130). Conclusions: Current self-image and body satisfaction are different with and without obesity. The relationship between self-esteem and depressive symptoms begins at school age.
Effects of obesity on perception of ability and perception of body image in Portuguese children and adolescents
Journal of Human Sport and Exercise, 2016
Worldwide, the prevalence of child obesity is increasing, which is the cause of great preoccupation for governments and health politics developers. The purpose of this study was to examine differences of ability and body image perceptions related to weight status in children and adolescents and explore them as correlates of BMI. Two thousand five hundred and sixty nine adolescents participated in the study (1303 boys, 1266 girls; M age=13.3±2.4 years). The students were questioned about perceptions of ability and body image, and the body mass index was calculated. Findings revealed that overweight participants felt less athletic, agile, fast and fit and had overall lower self-image perception than normal weight participants; regardless of the age, perceptions of elegance and body mass decreased significantly with increasing BMI. Taking in consideration the dangers of overweight related to the perception of body image, it is important to start to develop effective intervention programs that combine physical activity and psychological support, exploring the benefits of strength training.
Self-esteem, weight status and maturity in Portuguese school children
Kinanthropometry, 2008
It is generally accepted that individuals construct their perceptions from established interactions with their environment. However, only a reduced number of studies have considered, simultaneously, the influence that demographic, psychosocial and biologic variables exert in self-esteem. In particular, although we know that age affects self-esteem and that throughout development the chronological and the biological ages do not always coincide, there appears to be no studies which consider the bone age in the association between self-esteem and morphological, biological and psychosocial factors frequently studied. Hence, the aim of this work was to study the influence of bone-age in the association between self-esteem and selected morphologic, biologic and psychosocial factors. Our sample comprised 380 children, 198 boys and 182 girls, aged between 7 and 12. Anthropometric measures were obtained according to the ISAK procedures , bone age was calculated through the TW3 method and selfesteem was calculated with the SPPC . Girls were significantly more mature at 11 and 12 years old than boys. Our data demonstrated an inverse relationship between obesity and self-esteem. While maturity appears to shape the relationship between self-esteem and the BMI, the influence of maturity on self-esteem between groups of different BMI range depends on the classification used to classify overweight and obesity.
SUN-LB029: Parental Perception of their Children’s Weight Status
Clinical Nutrition, 2015
Background and aims: In Portugal the knowledge about the factors that can lead the progenitor's to misclassify their offspring's weight status is scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate the parental perception of weight status of their offsprings and related factors as well as analyze the parent's attitudes towards the relation between weight and health. Methods: Data was collected from 568 school children aged 6 to 18 years in the city of Chaves. Weight and height of all the children were measured. A questionnaire was delivered for the parents to complete about their child's weight status and perception, health beliefs, eating habits, exercise habits, family anthropometric information (self-reported). Information from 424 mothers and 398 fathers was retrieved. The CDC growth charts were used to classify the children's BMI percentile. Results: It was verified that 33.2% of the parents classified their child's weight status incorrectly. The major factors related with the misclassification were the presence of overweight in the mothers (OR: 4.08 95%
Association Between School Children's Overweight and Maternal Obesity and Perception of their Children's Weight Status
Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2000
Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the association between overweight (OW) in children and: a) maternal BMI, HDL-C, triglycerides, glucose, HOMA-IR, blood pressure (BP); b) maternal perception of children's OW. Research Design and Methods: 620 children, (297M) aged 9+2 y and their mothers aged 37.7 + 7 y were examined between April and August 2006. BMI, BP, Tanner stage, fasting glucose and lipids were determined. Questionnaires about mothers' perceptions of their children's eating habits (EH) and of their children's shape were asked. Results: Ninety five (17.4%) of the children were obese (OB), 108 (15.3%) OW and 418 (67.3%) normal. One hundred and twelve (18.1%) of the mothers were OB and 183 (29.5%) OW. Mean values for measures in mothers differed between normal vs OW/OB children. : z-BMI (-0.19 vs 0.42), triglycerides (84 vs 105 mg/dl)), cholesterol (147 vs 157 mg/dl) ), glucose (78 vs 82 mg/dl)) and HOMA-IR (1.34 vs 1.72 ). There were significant differences in the proportion with distorted perception of shape (2.2% vs 47.5%) and EH (11.2% vs 37%) between mothers of normal vs OW/OB children. Logistic regression analysis using BMI >85%ile as the dependent variable showed that mothers' perceptions of children's shape (OR: 18.84; 95% CI, 5.0-69.6), EH (OR: 3.82; 95% CI, 1.5-9.5) and mother's BMI (OR: 2.1; 95% CI, 1.3-3.4) were associated with children's OW. Conclusions: There was an association between mother's distorted perception of their children's shape and EH and mother's OB and her child's OW. This observation provides clues for future OB prevention programs.
Body Weight Dissatisfaction Is Associated with Cardiovascular Health-Risk Behaviors among Brazilian Adolescents: Findings from a National Survey
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Body weight dissatisfaction (BWD) among adolescents may be a predictor of adoption of health-risk behaviors. The study aimed to assess the gendered association between two forms of BWD (feeling underweight/overweight) and cardiovascular health-risk behaviors among Brazilian adolescents. This cross-sectional study used data from the National Study of Cardiovascular Risks in Adolescents (ERICA) in Brazil, including 71,740 adolescents aged 12–17 years. BWD was defined as satisfied, dissatisfied feeling underweight and dissatisfied feeling overweight. We considered four health-risk behaviors: tobacco use, alcohol use, physical inactivity and skipping breakfast. Assessment of the associations between BWD and these behaviors were undertaken using logistic regression models. All analyses were stratified by gender. Analyses revealed that 14.9% of male adolescents and 14.5% of female adolescents were dissatisfied feeling underweight and 21.5% of males and 39.9% of females were dissatisfied f...
The Relationship between Weight Status, Health-Related Quality of Life, and Life Satisfaction in a Sample of Spanish Adolescents
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health , 2020
Excess weight has been associated with numerous psychosocial problems and is considered to be one of the most important health problems of today. The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between weight status, which is evaluated by means of the body mass index (BMI), and the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and life satisfaction (LS) variables in Spanish adolescents, as well as to examine whether gender influences this interrelationship. A total of 1197 subjects studying in their 1st and 4th years of high school (mean age: 14.4 years, SD: 1.69) participated in the study by completing the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) questionnaire. Then, the participants were grouped into the following categories: underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese. The results show that boys have significantly higher HRQoL as well as higher levels of LS. On the other hand, only the obese group shows significantly lower scores in both HRQoL and LS than those in the normal-weight group. The interaction of weight category and gender does not have a significant impact on the variables that have been analyzed (HRQoL or LS).
Weight Status and Mental Well-Being Among Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Self-Perceived Body Weight. A Cross-National Survey
Journal of Adolescent Health, 2022
Overweight and obesity are associated with poor mental health in adolescents. However, little is known about whether the influence of overweight and obesity on mental well-being is mediated by self-perceived body weight. Exploring the mechanisms underlying the relationships between obesity and mental well-being is of interest to policy makers and others working in the field of adolescent health. Methods: This study was based on nationally representative data from adolescents (age 15 years) who participated in the 2017/2018 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study (47 countries, N ¼ 76,998). Mixed regression models that included gender and socioeconomic status as covariates were used to identify associations between weight status and mental well-being (life satisfaction and subjective health complaints) and to explore whether self-perceived body weight (feeling too thin or too fat) has a mediating effect. Associations between weight status, self-perceived weight, The present results should be considered when developing policy aimed at regulating external pressures related to body weight in adolescents. Fostering appreciation of the body in the context of its functionality instead of focusing on size and shape Conflicts of interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. Disclaimer: The content of this article reflects only the authors' views, and the European Commission is not liable for any use that may be made of the information it contains.
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