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Body Mass Index Self‐Perception and Weight Management Behaviors During Late Adolescence
Author(s) -
Yang Kyeongra,
Turk Melanie T.,
Allison Virginia L.,
James Khara A.,
Chasens Eileen
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of school health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.851
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1746-1561
pISSN - 0022-4391
DOI - 10.1111/josh.12195
Subject(s) - overweight , body mass index , weight management , weight loss , obesity , logistic regression , percentile , medicine , demography , psychology , perception , national health and nutrition examination survey , gerontology , environmental health , population , statistics , neuroscience , mathematics , sociology
BACKGROUND This study examined the relationship between actual body weight and self‐perceived weight, and how perception of one's weight affects weight management behaviors among US adolescents. METHODS Adolescents ages 16‐19 years with objectively‐measured weight and height and self‐reported perception of weight, weight‐loss efforts, and health‐related behaviors (N = 642) from the 2009‐2010 National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey ( NHANES ) were included. Sociodemographic variables, body mass index percentile, weight perception, weight‐loss efforts, and health‐related behaviors were examined using Wald chi‐square, Student's t test, analysis of variance, and logistic regression. RESULTS Approximately 15% were overweight, and 20% were obese; 26% inaccurately perceived their weight. Ethnic minority groups displayed higher rates of overweight and obesity. Overweight adolescents had a higher rate of inaccurate weight perception than obese adolescents. More girls correctly perceived their weight status than boys. Nearly 25% had tried to lose weight during the past year. Among overweight and obese adolescents, accurate weight perception was significantly and positively related to weight‐loss efforts after controlling for sociodemographic variables and actual weight. CONCLUSIONS Accurate body weight perception is a significant factor in adolescents' weight‐loss efforts. Targeting counseling for body weight perception and weight management toward boys and overweight adolescents may impact obesity in this age group.