title: [Relationship between chronic psychosocial stress and BMI among adolescents].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the influence of chronic psychosocial stress on BMI in adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Physical examination and questionnaire survey were conducted among the students of junior grade 1 and senior grade 1 in 10 middle schools in Xuzhou in September 2011. Their body height and weight were measured at baseline survey and the self-report information about socio-demographic data, emotional symptoms (depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms), and life style/behavior were collected from them. Chronic psychosocial stress was assessed with Multidimensional Life Events Rating Questionnaire (MLERQ), which consists of five items, stress of family life, school life, peer relation, gender relation and health growth.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 5473 valid questionnaires were collected for analysis (2841 from boys and 2632 from girls). The follow-up measurement of body height and weight were conducted in September 2013. A total of 4316 students (2171 boys, 2145 girls) were surveyed, and 1157 students missed the follow up. The psychosocial stress score in the overweight and obese girls at baseline survey was positively associated with BMI-Z increase at follow up survey (P<0.01). No such effect was observed among the boys at follow-up survey.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High level of chronic psychosocial stress could lead to BMI increase in overweight and obese girls, suggesting that female adolescents are susceptible population of psychosocial stress induced obesity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Population Health and Eugenics, Hefei 230032, China; Department of School of Public Health, College of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong 226009, China.
authors.forename: Qingyun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Population Health and Eugenics, Hefei 230032, China.
authors.forename: Fangli
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Xuzhou Department of Elementary and Middle School Students Health Care, Xuzhou 221009, China.
authors.forename: Zhaocheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Population Health and Eugenics, Hefei 230032, China.
authors.forename: Fangbiao
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D003863:Depression; D004644:Emotions; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology; D012574:Schools; D057566:Self Report; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires