Adolescent depressive symptoms and smoking behavior: the gender-specific role of weight concern and dieting.
OBJECTIVE
Increased weight concern and dieting are associated with both depression and smoking among adolescents, particularly girls. This cross-sectional study examined the gender-specific role of weight concerns and dieting on the adolescent depression-smoking association.


METHODS
Participants were 2051 adolescents (1056 boys and 995 girls) from seven high schools in the Netherlands who filled out questionnaires on smoking, depression, and weight constructs and of whom weight and height were measured.


RESULTS
Logistic regression analyses showed that for girls, but not for boys, the depression-smoking association disappeared after controlling for weight concerns and dieting.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings indicate that weight concerns and dieting are important factors to consider in the depression-smoking initiation relation for girls, but not for boys. This suggests that smoking prevention programs for depressed girls might be enhanced by challenging the idea of smoking as a diet strategy and incorporating a focus on healthy weight regulation. However, before setting up a prevention trial, future prospective studies should first examine why and how weight concerns and dieting are important factors in the depression-smoking initiation relation among girls, also in conjunction with other established risk factors such as parental and peer smoking.
Larsen
Junilla K
JK
Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands. j.larsen@pwo.ru.nl
Otten
Roy
R
Engels
Rutger C M E
RC
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D004032:Diet / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires