title: [Influence of body mass index on self-esteem of children aged 12-14 years].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  During the last decades, the increase in the rate of children and adolescents that are overweight or obese is alarming and it is related with a lower social competency, and low self-esteem.
  
  
  METHODS
  A transversal study was conducted with a representative sample of 292 students enrolled in years 8 and 9 at secondary school (13.05±0.97 years) in the city of Jaen, Spain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Girls wanted a thinner figure than boys (P < .001). Regarding self-esteem we observed statistically lower values in the case of girls (P < .000) as compared to their male counterparts. Regarding the BMI, students with a healthy weight have a statistically higher self-esteem score than students that are overweight and these have a slightly higher score than those that are obese. Positive correlation exists between the perceived silhouette and the desired silhouette (r=.485) and a negative correlation between the BMI and self-esteem (r=-.248).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is necessary to plan actions aimed as reinforcing and increasing self-esteem, focusing on the group of girls and the group of young adults with overweight and obesity problems.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Didáctica de la Expresión Corporal, Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación, Universidad de Granada, Granada, España.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ortega Becerra
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Nutrición y Bromatología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Granada, Granada, España. Electronic address: jjmuros@ugr.es.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Muros
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Didáctica de la Expresión Corporal, Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación, Universidad de Granada, Granada, España.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Palomares Cuadros
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Didáctica de la Expresión Corporal, Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación, Universidad de Granada, Granada, España.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Martín Sánchez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Didáctica de la Expresión Corporal, Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación, Universidad de Granada, Granada, España.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cepero González
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000523:psychology*; D012649:Self Concept; D013030:Spain
keywords: Autoestima; Body composition; Composición corporal; Gender; Género; Salud escolar; School health; Self-esteem