ArticleBMC public health2018
Body image as risk factor for emotional and behavioral problems among Chinese adolescents.
Article in BMC public health, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Body, Emotions, and Hormones: A Systematic Review of Body Dissatisfaction, Emotion Regulation, and Puberty in Adolescence.Journal of adolescence · 2026Pooled it
- The Association Between Affect and Adiposity in Childhood and Adolescence: A Systematic Review.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2026Pooled it
- Prevalence of body weight dissatisfaction among adolescents: a systematic review.Revista paulista de pediatria : orgao oficial da Sociedade de Pediatria de Sao Paulo · 2022Pooled it
- Nonlinear association between body mass index, perceived discrimination, and psychological sub-health problems among adolescents: risks of undernutrition versus overnutrition.BMC psychology · 2026Article
- Can physical exercise alleviate social anxiety in junior high school students by improving body image?Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Body Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults (BESAA) among adolescents.BMC psychology · 2025Article
- Beyond the positive glow: how school climate inadvertently challenges mental health by modifying the relationship between BMI and depression in adolescents.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Association between weight, weight perception, weight teasing and mental health among adolescents.Child and adolescent psychiatry and mental health · 2024Article
- Weight perception and mental health disorders among adolescents of central-eastern Tunisia: A cross-sectional study.PloS one · 2024Article
- Sports Practice, Body Image Perception, and Factors Involved in Sporting Activity in Italian Schoolchildren.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Body image and behavioural and emotional difficulties in German children and adolescents.BMC pediatrics · 2023Article
- Association between Weight Status and Mental Health among Korean Adolescents: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Conduct problems among middle adolescents in the community settings: A concept analysis.Belitung nursing journal · 2023Article
- Youth psychopathology: Universal or culture-specific? Testing the syndrome models of youth self-report in Chinese population.Journal of child and adolescent psychiatric nursing : official publication of the Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nurses, Inc · 2022Article
- Are explicit and implicit affective attitudes toward different body shape categories related to the own body-satisfaction in young women? The role of mindfulness, self-compassion and social media activity.Psychological research · 2022Article
- Exploring the self-reported physical fitness and self-rated health, mental health disorders, and body satisfaction among Chinese adolescents: A cross-sectional study.Frontiers in psychology · 2022Article
- Body Image Dissatisfaction and Aggressive Behavior Among Chinese Children at Different Pubdertal Stages: A Path Analysis.Psychology research and behavior management · 2022Article
- Physical Activity Levels, Perceived Body Appearance, and Body Functioning in Relation to Perceived Wellbeing Among Adolescents.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2022Article
- Self-Perceptions, Normative Beliefs, and Substance Use Associated With High School Girls Comparing Themselves to Peers.The Journal of school health · 2021Article
- Daily Stress and Behavioral Problems in Chinese Children: The Moderating Roles of Family Functioning and the Classroom Environment.Frontiers in psychology · 2021Article
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8 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundBeing overweight and obesity during adolescence are worldwide public health problems. This study examined the relationship between actual weight, body image, and emotional and behavioral problems among Chinese adolescents.
methodsA total of 3841 adolescents (age range, 11-16 years) from 5 Chinese cities were included in this cross-sectional study. All of the study participants were asked to complete questionnaires (including demographic features, strengths and difficulties questionnaires, pubertal development scale), and their height and weight were measured at the same time. Body image was measured in two ways: self-perceived weight and body satisfaction. The relationship between weight status and mental health was estimated by multivariate logistic regression for boys and girls.
resultsOur study showed a difference by sex for prevalence of being overweight/obesity and body dissatisfaction among Chinese adolescents. Boys were more likely to be overweight or obese than girls (30.4% vs. 21.5%, p < 0.05), but girls were more likely to be dissatisfied with their bodies than boys (41.2% vs. 27.9%, p < 0.05). In the logistic regression, body image, not actually being overweight, was significantly associated with a higher risk of emotional and behavioral problems. Compared to perceived normal weight boys, boys who perceived themselves as underweight had an increased likelihood of emotional problems (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.73; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.16-2.57), conduct problems (OR = 1.73; 95% CI, 1.20-2.50), and total difficulties (OR = 1.50; 95% CI, 1.09-2.05). Compared to body satisfaction, body dissatisfaction was a risk factor for emotional problems (boys: OR = 2.80; 95% CI, 1.84-4.25; girls: OR = 2.18; 95% CI, 1.42-3.36), conduct problems (boys: OR = 1.87, 95% CI, 1.26-2.76; girls: OR = 2.79; 95% CI, 1.46-5.30), hyperactivity problems (boys: OR = 1.67; 95% CI, 1.09-2.55; girls: OR = 2.04; 95% CI, 1.13-3.69), and total difficulties (boys: OR = 2.03; 95% CI, 1.45-2.84; girls: OR = 2.30; 95% CI, 1.46-3.56).
conclusionsBeing overweight and obese during adolescence are very serious public health problems in China. Body image was a more substantial predictor for adolescent emotional and behavioral problems than actually being overweight/obesity.
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