Perception of overweight and self-esteem during adolescence.
OBJECTIVE
To examine sex- and race/ethnicity-specific relationships between adolescents' self-esteem and weight perception.


METHODS
Descriptive analysis and logistic regression of Wave II of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (N = 6,427 males, 6,574 females; ages 11-21) examined associations between low self-esteem and perceived overweight within body mass index (BMI) percentile categories, controlling for sociodemographics and stratified by sex and race/ethnicity.


RESULTS
25.1% and 8% of normal weight females and males, respectively, perceived themselves as overweight, with variation by race/ethnicity. Low self-esteem was most strongly associated with misperceived overweight in moderate BMI percentile categories (males: OR = 2.34; 95% CI: 1.60-3.41; females: OR = 2.39; 95% CI: 1.82, 3.16). Odds of correctly perceived overweight were higher for low (versus high) self-esteem in white and black females but not males of any race/ethnicity.


CONCLUSIONS
Understanding subgroup differences by race/ethnicity in perceived overweight-self-esteem relationships may inform eating disorders' prevention strategies.
Perrin
Eliana M
EM
Department of Pediatrics, Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7225, USA. eliana_perrin@med.unc.edu
Boone-Heinonen
Janne
J
Field
Alison E
AE
Coyne-Beasley
Tamera
T
Gordon-Larsen
Penny
P
D000293:Adolescent; D001828:Body Image; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D050177:Overweight / Q000523:psychology*; D010465:Perception; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult