ArticleChild and adolescent psychiatry and mental health2024
Association between weight, weight perception, weight teasing and mental health among adolescents.
Article in Child and adolescent psychiatry and mental health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
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12 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.
- Adolescents' Experiences of Weight-Related Bullying in the School Setting-A Qualitative Study.Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992) · 2026Article
- When adolescents look at their bodies: Individual and social explanations for the dissatisfaction with what they see-A cross-sectional study.Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique · 2026Article
- Loneliness and desire for thinness explain sex differences in adolescent internalizing problems.Nature human behaviour · 2026Article
- Cumulative effects of excess weight, sleep quality, and depressive and anxiety symptoms in Chinese adolescents.BMC psychology · 2026Article
- Body weight perception and body self-esteem in adolescents with overweight or obesity in Costa Rica: challenges for public health policy.Revista panamericana de salud publica = Pan American journal of public health · 2026Article
- Nutrition literacy among primary school students in Nanshan District, Shenzhen: current status and influencing factors.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Body Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults (BESAA) among adolescents.BMC psychology · 2025Article
- Body Weight Perception and Other Factors Associated with Overweight and Obesity in U.S. Adolescents.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Body weight misperception and academic performance in Chinese adolescents (2007-2022): the mediating role of loneliness.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Sex differences in the association of BMI and weight perception with depression and suicidality among Korean adolescents.PloS one · 2025Article
- Weightism in Asia: A Narrative Review and Implications for Practice.Journal of obesity & metabolic syndrome · 2024Review
- Association Between Maternal Weight Perception Before and During Pregnancy and Postpartum Depression Status in Southern China.Nutrients · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
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Abstract
backgroundAdolescent mental health problems are becoming increasingly prevalent, and there are correlations between weight-related concerns and adolescent mental health. The aim of this study is to explore the association between three weight-related factors (actual weight, weight perception, and weight teasing) and mental health problems (depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and loneliness) in Chinese adolescents.
methods10,070 adolescents between the ages of 11-18 from schools in Shanghai, China were selected using a stratified random cluster sampling method. Self-reported questionnaires were collected to investigate weight-related factors and mental health problems. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the relationship.
resultsThe prevalence of depressive symptoms, loneliness, mild anxiety symptoms, and moderate to severe anxiety symptoms among adolescents were 18.0%, 53.8%, 26.5%, and 12.3%, respectively, with a higher prevalence found in females. After adjusting for weight perception and weight teasing, actual weight had no harmful impact on adolescents' mental health. Adolescents' perception of being overweight increased the risk of depressive symptoms, loneliness, mild anxiety symptoms, and moderate to severe anxiety symptoms, while the perception of being underweight had a similar but more profound impact (depressive symptoms OR = 1.590, 95% CI: 1.342-1.883; loneliness OR = 1.537, 95% CI: 1.353-1.746; mild anxiety symptoms OR = 1.368, 95% CI: 1.178-1.589; moderate to severe anxiety symptoms OR = 1.780, 95% CI: 1.449-2.186). Experiencing weight teasing more than once a year had a greater effect on adolescents' mental health, especially among adolescents with overweight/obesity (depressive symptoms OR = 2.970, 95% CI: 2.325-3.793; loneliness OR = 3.839, 95% CI: 3.119-4.727; mild anxiety symptoms OR = 2.822, 95% CI: 2.236-3.562; moderate to severe anxiety symptoms OR = 5.212, 95% CI: 3.846-7.065).
conclusionsThe prevalence of mental health problems among adolescents was high, especially loneliness. Weight perception and weight teasing, but not the actual weight, independently influenced adolescent mental health.
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