Body-weight perception and related preoccupations in a large national sample of adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to investigate the association between body-weight (BW) perception, weight preoccupation and behaviour, including weight control practices and compulsive over-eating episodes, across gender and actual BW classes.


METHODS
This study used a cross-sectional observational study.


METHODS
A large, nationally representative sample of 6404 ninth-grade French adolescents was randomly selected from schools throughout France.


METHODS
Weight and height were measured, and BW preoccupation, BW control practices and compulsive over-eating were self-reported using standardized questionnaires.


RESULTS
Nearly one-third of adolescents misperceived their BW. Misperception was more frequent among girls than boys (42.2% vs. 27.3%, P < 0.01). Underestimation of BW among overweight adolescents, like BW overestimation among underweight adolescents, was associated with less preoccupation with weight and fewer weight control practices than accurate perception of BW. Normal weight adolescents who overestimated their BW were more likely to declare weight preoccupations (ORa = 8.66 [6.67-11.25]), dieting (ORa = 4.81 [3.68-6.27]) and recurrent compulsive over-eating episodes (ORa = 2.36 [1.72-3.23]) compared with their counterparts who correctly estimated their BW.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study underlines the role of these associations in each category of actual BW (underweight, normal weight and overweight) in a large national sample.
Unité de Surveillance et d'Epidémiologie nutritionnelle (Usen), Institut de Veille sanitaire (InVS), Saint-Maurice, France; Unité de Surveillance et d'Epidémiologie nutritionnelle (Usen), Université de Paris 13, Bobigny, France.
V
V
Deschamps
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B
Salanave
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C
Chan-Chee
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M
Vernay
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K
Castetbon
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D012574:Schools; D012649:Self Concept; D057566:Self Report; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013851:Thinness / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D044465:White People
Adolescent; BMI; behaviour; perception