Poster #232 - The Impact of Weight-Related Victimization on the Relation between Children’s Weight and Negative Health Behaviors

• In Event: 3-003 - Poster Session 09
  In Poster Session: PS 09 Section - Social Relationships

Integrative Statement

Introduction: Thirty-two percent of children and adolescents are estimated to be overweight or obese (Ogden, Carroll, Kit, & Flegal, 2014). Children who are overweight or obese report higher rates of victimization than their normal-weight peers (van Geel, Tedder, & Tanilon, 2015), and this victimization is often related to these youth’s weight specifically (Gray, Kahhan, & Janicke, 2009). Although obesity leads to youth being teased about their weight, weight-related victimization prospectively predicts increased BMI as well (Haines, Neumark-Sztainer, Wall, & Story, 2007). However, the mechanism through which this occurs is unclear. The goal of the current study was to test two longitudinal mediation models in which weight-related peer victimization mediates the associations between obesity and the negative health behaviors of either physical inactivity or disordered eating across the span of middle childhood (4th-5th grade) to adolescence (7th-8th grade). We hypothesized that youth with higher BMI are more likely to experience weight-related victimization and that this victimization then leads to increased negative health behaviors which ultimately feed back to adversely impact youth’s BMI.

Method: During the 2013-2014 academic year, data were collected through classroom visits in fall (T1) and spring (T2) from 1440 students in 74 4th and 5th grade classrooms in 9 schools. Data for the third time point (T3) were collected during home visits from 150 of these participants now in 7th or 8th grade. BMI percentile scores were calculated through parent report on participants’ height, weight, and age at T1, and from objective measurements of height and weight and parent-report of age at T3. Weight-related victimization was assessed using the General Weight Teasing subscale from the Perceptions of Teasing Scale (Thompson, Cattarin, Fowler, & Fisher, 1995) at all three time points. At T3, data were also collected via self report on disordered eating behaviors (Children’s Eating Attitude Test; Maloney, McGuire, & Daniels, 1988) and physical inactivity (Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents; Kowalski, Crocker, & Kowalski, 1997).

Results: Analyses were conducted using structural equation modeling in MPlus 8.0. Mediation analyses revealed that weight-related victimization mediated the link between BMI and both physical inactivity (Figure 1) and disordered eating (Figure 2). Gender moderation effects across all models were tested using multiple groups modeling; however, no significant gender moderation effects were found.

Discussion: Mediation analyses suggest that experiences of weight-related victimization may lead to increased physical inactivity and disordered eating behaviors. Thus, weight-related victimization may be an important but under-recognized factor in children’s engagement in negative health behaviors that can contribute to further weight gain.

Authors

• Megan K Bookhout, University of Delaware
  Presenting Author

• Julie A. Hubbard, University of Delaware
  Non-Presenting Author

• Christina Moore, University of Delaware
  Non-Presenting Author

• Fanny Mlawer, University of Delaware
  Non-Presenting Author

• Marissa Docimo, Department of Medicine, Penn Medicine
  Non-Presenting Author

• Stevie N. Grassetti, West Chester University of Pennsylvania
  Non-Presenting Author

• Lauren E. Swift, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
  Non-Presenting Author