Family, friend, and media factors are associated with patterns of weight-control behavior among adolescent girls.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship of family, friend, and media factors on weight-control group membership at 15 years separately and in a combined model.


METHODS
Subjects included 166 15 year girls. Latent class analysis identified four patterns of weight-control behaviors: non-dieters, lifestyle, dieters, and extreme dieters. Family (family functioning, priority of the family meals, maternal/paternal weight-teasing, and mother's/father's dieting), friend (weight-teasing and dieting), and media variables (media sensitivity and weekly TV time) were included as predictors of weight-control group membership.


RESULTS
Family functioning and priority of family meals predicted membership in the Extreme Dieters group, and maternal weight-teasing predicted membership in both dieters and extreme dieters. Friend's dieting and weight-teasing predicted membership in both dieters and extreme dieters. Media sensitivity was significantly associated with membership in lifestyle, dieters, and extreme dieters. In a combined influence model with family, friend, and media factors included, the following remained significantly associated with weight-control group membership: family functioning, friends' dieting, and media sensitivity.


CONCLUSIONS
Family, friends, and the media are three sources of sociocultural influence, which play a role in adolescent girls' use of patterns of weight-control behaviors; family functioning was a protective factor, whereas friend's dieting and media sensitivity were risk factors. These findings emphasize the need for multidimensional interventions, addressing risk factors for dieting and use of unhealthy weight-control behaviors at the family, peer, and community (e.g., media) levels.
Center for Childhood Obesity Research, The Pennsylvania State University, 129 Noll Laboratory, University Park, PA, 16802, USA. balantekink@psychiatry.wustl.edu.|Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, 110 Chandlee Laboratory, University Park, PA, 16802, USA. balantekink@psychiatry.wustl.edu.
Katherine N
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6760-2714
KN
Balantekin
Department of Foods and Nutrition, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
Leann L
LL
Birch
Center for Childhood Obesity Research, The Pennsylvania State University, 129 Noll Laboratory, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.|Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, 110 Chandlee Laboratory, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
Jennifer S
JS
Savage
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D004038:Diet, Reducing / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008402:Mass Media; D010379:Peer Group
Adolescents; Dieting; Family; Friends; Media