Weight concerns and weight control behaviors of adolescents and their mothers

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Author:

Field, Alison E.; Austin, S. Bryn; Striegel-Moore, Ruth H.; Taylor, C. Barr; Camargo Jr., Carlos A.; Laird, Nan; Colditz, Graham A.

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Year:

2005

Article Title:

Weight concerns and weight control behaviors of adolescents and their mothers

Journal:

Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine

Volume:

159

Edition:

Issue:

Pages:

1121-1126

ISBN/ISSN:

1072-4710

Source of Funding:

Boston Obesity Nutrition Research Center, Boston; National Institutes of Health grants DK46834 and DK59570; Kellogg Company, Battle Creek, Mich; Maternal and Child Health Bureau grant 6T71 MC00009-11-01

Study Design:

Longitudinal Study

Publication Type:

Journal Article

Age Group:

Adolescence (13-17 yrs), Adulthood (18 yrs & older), Middle Age (40-64 yrs), Thirties (30-39 yrs), Young Adulthood (18-29 yrs)

URL:

Abstract:

Objective: To examine the association between adolescent's weight concerns and dieting and the importance of the adolescent's weight to their mother and her dieting behavior.

Design: Cross-sectional study. Both adolescent and mother completed questionnaire in 1999 that assessed information on weight, height, and weight concerns.

Subjects and Setting: Girls (N=5331) and boys (N=3881) ages 11.8 to 18.4 years and their mothers (N=7591) who were part of the Growing Up Today Study (GUTS), an ongoing cohort study.

Intervention: N/A

Outcome Measure(s): Thinking frequently about wanting to be thinner, frequent dieting to lose or maintain weight.

Results: Girls (33%) thought more frequently about being thinner than boys (8.1%). 54% of mothers thought frequently about wanting to be thinner. Girls who correctly thought that their thinness was important to their mothers more likely to report wanting to be thinner (OR=2.85, 95% CI 0.96-8.43). Girls who incorrectly thought that thinness was important to mothers thought about being thinner frequently (OR=1.90, 95% CI 1.34-2.76) Girls who perceived that it was important to friends that they be thin thought frequently about wanting to be thinner (OR=6.94, 95% CI 3.29-14.64). Boys who correctly thought that not being fat was important to mother thought more frequently about being thinner (OR=3.80, 95% CI=2.24-6.74).Trying to look like women or men in media was strongly associated with frequent dieting among girls (OR=5.96, 95% CI=4.31-8.23) and boys. (OR=5.10, 95% CI=2.73-9.51).

Conclusions: Adolescents who correctly think that thinness was important to their mothers were more likely to think frequently about wanting to be thinner and were more likely to report frequent dieting. � Center on Media and Child Health

Keywords:

Adolescent Attitudes
Adolescents
Adult Attitudes
Adults
Body Dissatisfaction
Eating Behavior
Gender Differences
Health Behavior
Parent Attitudes
Parent Child Relations
Parents and Parenting
Pediatrics
Perception
Weight
Weight Loss