Familial correlates of extreme weight control behaviors among adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
To identify familial factors associated with extreme weight control among adolescents.


METHODS
Analysis of a comprehensive 1996 health survey of Connecticut students. Familial factors among extreme dieters who deliberately vomited, took diet pills, laxatives, or diuretics were compared with youth reporting none of these behaviors, using logistic regression controlling for age and body mass index.


RESULTS
Nearly 7% of adolescents reported engaging in extreme weight control behaviors. Boys' risk factors included high parental supervision/monitoring and sexual abuse history. Protective factors included high parental expectations, maternal presence, and connectedness with friends and other adults. The only significant risk factor for girls was sexual abuse history. Protective factors included family connectedness, positive family communication, parental supervision/monitoring, and maternal presence.


CONCLUSIONS
Extreme dieting appears to be less an expression of body composition than of psychosocial issues. That connectedness to family, other adults, and friends is protective further demonstrates interrelationships of extreme weight control behaviors with family/social issues.
Fonseca
Helena
H
Adolescent Health Outpatient Clinic, Pediatric Division, Hospital de Santa Maria, Lisboa, Portugal.
Ireland
Marjorie
M
Resnick
Michael D
MD
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002032:Bulimia / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology; D003237:Connecticut; D004038:Diet, Reducing / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires