[Can teenage obesity affect mental health?].
This study evaluated the association between obesity and emotional and behavioral difficulties in adolescents. We studied 4,325 individuals 11 to 15 years of age who were members of the 1993 birth cohort in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. Information on body mass index (BMI), maternal assessment of the adolescents' emotional and behavioral health (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire - SDQ), and sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics were used. Gender-stratified analyses were conducted with simple and multivariate linear regression. In the adjusted analysis, obesity only correlated with total SDQ scores in boys. Among the latter, teenage obesity was associated with higher scores on the subscale of relational problems with peers. Given current knowledge on the future implications of obesity and mental health and in dealing with adolescents, studies on gender differences in adolescence may contribute to understanding such associations.
Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, Brasil.
Maria Cecília Formoso
MC
Assunção
Ludmila Correa
LC
Muniz
Antônio Augusto
AA
Schäfer
Fernanda de Oliveira
Fde O
Meller
Juliana Pires
JP
Carús
Lenice de Castro Muniz de
Lde C
Quadros
Lídice Rodrigues
LR
Domingues
Vera Lúcia Schmidt
VL
da Silva
Helen
H
Gonçalves
Pedro Curi
PC
Hallal
Ana Maria Baptista
AM
Menezes
D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D008603:Mental Health; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology*; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires