title: The contribution of school environmental factors to individual and school variation in disordered weight control behaviors in a statewide sample of middle schools.
abstract: We investigated the contribution of school environmental factors to individual and school variation in disordered weight control behaviors (DWCB). Analyses were based on self-report data gathered from 18,567 middle-school students in 2005 and publicly available data on school characteristics. We observed large differences across schools in percent of students engaging in DWCB in the past month, ranging from less than 1% of the student body to 12%. School-neighborhood poverty was associated with higher odds of DWCB in boys. Preventive strategies need to account for wide variability across schools and environmental factors that may contribute to DWCB in early adolescence.
authors: Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Massachusetts 02115, USA. bryn.austin@childrens.harvard.edu
authors: S Bryn
authors: SB
authors: Austin
authors: Tracy K
authors: TK
authors: Richmond
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: Spadano-Gasbarro
authors: Mary L
authors: ML
authors: Greaney
authors: Emily A
authors: EA
authors: Blood
authors: Courtney
authors: C
authors: Walls
authors: Monica L
authors: ML
authors: Wang
authors: Solomon
authors: S
authors: Mezgebu
authors: Stavroula K
authors: SK
authors: Osganian
authors: Karen E
authors: KE
authors: Peterson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D032763:Behavior Control / Q000523:psychology*; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012574:Schools; D057566:Self Report; D012931:Social Environment; D013334:Students