title: The source and impact of appearance teasing: an examination by sex and weight status among early adolescents from the Czech Republic.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Some adolescents are victims of negative appearance-related feedback, and this may have lasting adverse effects on their self-evaluation. The aim of this study was to examine the frequency and impact of appearance teasing across sex and weight status.
  
  
  METHODS
  The participants were 570 Czech adolescents (47.9% girls) evaluated at age 13 during the European Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood. Instruments used were body mass index and an adapted version of the Physical Experiences Survey that measures appearance teasing sources (parents, peers, among others), body part teased, and the impact of teasing. Chi-square test and multivariate analyses of variance were conducted to compare groups by sex and weight status. Logistic regression was then used for adjusted analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Girls were more likely to report appearance teasing than boys. Overweight adolescents, both girls and boys, were more likely to be teased than non-overweight adolescents. Overweight adolescents compared with non-overweight adolescents reported higher levels of impact of body-related teasing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Czech adolescents continue to adopt the societal standards of Western countries, stigmatizing overweight peers. This may affect more obese adolescents. Future research has to evaluate different sources of appearance-related teasing. Interventions in schools are suitable for the reduction of appearance-related prejudices.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Research on Children, Youth and Family, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University, Joštova, 10, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic. carlos.almenara@mail.muni.cz.
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Almenara
authors.forename: Stanislav
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ježek
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001828:Body Image; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D058445:Bullying / Q000523:psychology*; D018153:Czech Republic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000523:psychology*; D010379:Peer Group; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013240:Stereotyping
keywords: adolescents; appearance criticism; body weight; physical appearance; teasing