Overweight, Obesity, Youth, and Health-Risk Behaviors

Background The prevalence and severity of obesity have increased among children and adolescents. Although the medical and psychosocial consequences of youth obesity have been well documented, comparatively less information exists on the association of overweight/obesity with health-risk behaviors, w...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of preventive medicine 2010-03, Vol.38 (3), p.258-267
Main Authors: Farhat, Tilda, PhD, MPH, Iannotti, Ronald J., PhD, Simons-Morton, Bruce G., EdD, MPH
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adolescents
Age Factors
Alcohol Drinking - epidemiology
Boys
Bullying
Cannabis
Child
Crime Victims - statistics & numerical data
Female
Girls
Health Behavior
Health risks
Health Surveys
Humans
Internal Medicine
Male
Obesity
Obesity - complications
Obesity - epidemiology
Obesity - psychology
Overweight - complications
Overweight - epidemiology
Overweight - psychology
Public health
Risk
Risk-Taking
Sex Factors
Smoking
Smoking - epidemiology
Social problems
Substance abuse
Substance-Related Disorders - epidemiology
Substance-Related Disorders - etiology
United States
Violence - statistics & numerical data
Youth
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Background The prevalence and severity of obesity have increased among children and adolescents. Although the medical and psychosocial consequences of youth obesity have been well documented, comparatively less information exists on the association of overweight/obesity with health-risk behaviors, which are considered to be a primary threat to adolescent health. Purpose This study aims to examine the association of overweight and obesity with health-risk behaviors among U.S. youth. Methods Self-reported height and weight, substance use, violence, and bullying were assessed in a nationally representative sample of students aged 11–17 years (N=7825) who participated in the 2005–2006 Health Behaviors in School-Aged Children survey. Data were analyzed in 2009. Results Significant gender and age differences in the relationship of overweight/obesity with risk behaviors were observed. Overweight and obesity were significantly associated with substance use among girls only: Frequent smoking and drinking were associated with overweight and obesity among younger girls, whereas these behaviors were associated with obesity among older girls. Frequent smoking and cannabis use were associated with overweight among younger girls only. Relationships between violent behavior and overweight/obesity were mainly observed among boys: Younger obese boys were more likely to be victims of bullying, whereas older obese boys were more likely to carry weapons compared to boys of normal weight. Conclusions Overweight and obese young people are at risk of developing health-compromising behaviors that may compound medical and social problems associated with excess weight.
ISSN:0749-3797
1873-2607
DOI:10.1016/j.amepre.2009.10.038