Can Family and Parenting Factors Modify the Impact of Weight Stigma on Disordered Eating in Young People? A Population-Based Longitudinal Study

Laura Hooper; Rebecca M. Puhl; Marla E. Eisenberg; Jerica M. Berge; Dianne Neumark-Sztainer

doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2023.01.024

Can Family and Parenting Factors Modify the Impact of Weight Stigma on Disordered Eating in Young People? A Population-Based Longitudinal Study

Laura Hooper
, Rebecca M. Puhl
, Marla E. Eisenberg
, Jerica M. Berge
, Dianne Neumark-Sztainer

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Purpose: Weight stigma is a prevalent problem in adolescents and a risk factor for disordered eating behaviors (DEBs). This study examined whether positive family/parenting factors were protective for DEBs among an ethnically/racially and socioeconomically diverse sample of adolescents with and without weight stigmatizing experiences. Methods: In Project Eating and Activity over Time (EAT) 2010–2018, 1,568 adolescents (mean age = 14.4 ± 2.0 years) were surveyed and followed into young adulthood (mean age = 22.2 ± 2.0 years). Modified Poisson regression models examined the relationships between three weight-stigmatizing experiences and four DEBs (e.g., overeating and binge eating) in models adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics and weight status. Interaction terms and stratified models examined whether family/parenting factors were protective for DEBs based on weight stigma status. Results: Higher family functioning and support for psychological autonomy were cross sectionally protective for DEBs. However, this pattern was primarily observed in adolescents who did not experience weight stigma. For example, among adolescents who did not experience peer weight teasing, high support for psychological autonomy was associated with lower prevalence of overeating (high support: 7.0%, low support: 12.5%, p = .003). Whereas, in participants who experienced family weight teasing, the difference in prevalence of overeating based on support for psychological autonomy was not statistically significant (high support: 17.9%, low support: 22.4%, p = .260). Discussion: General positive family and parenting factors did not entirely offset the effects of weight-stigmatizing experiences on DEBs, which may reflect the strength of weight stigma as a risk factor for DEBs. Future research is needed to identify effective strategies family members can use to support youth who experience weight stigma.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	44-52
Number of pages	9
Journal	Journal of Adolescent Health
Volume	73
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2023.01.024
State	Published - Jul 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This study was supported by grant numbers R01HL127077 and R35HL139853 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (PI: Dianne Neumark-Sztainer). Laura Hooper's time was supported by the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (grant numbers TL1R002493 and UL1TR002494 ) and the National Institute of Mental Health (grant number T32 MH082761 ). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine

Keywords

Bias
Eating behavior
Eating disorders
Parenting
Social stigma
Weight stigma

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10.1016/j.jadohealth.2023.01.024

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@article{101659fc2ae648a291696e61275a697c,

title = "Can Family and Parenting Factors Modify the Impact of Weight Stigma on Disordered Eating in Young People? A Population-Based Longitudinal Study",

abstract = "Purpose: Weight stigma is a prevalent problem in adolescents and a risk factor for disordered eating behaviors (DEBs). This study examined whether positive family/parenting factors were protective for DEBs among an ethnically/racially and socioeconomically diverse sample of adolescents with and without weight stigmatizing experiences. Methods: In Project Eating and Activity over Time (EAT) 2010–2018, 1,568 adolescents (mean age = 14.4 ± 2.0 years) were surveyed and followed into young adulthood (mean age = 22.2 ± 2.0 years). Modified Poisson regression models examined the relationships between three weight-stigmatizing experiences and four DEBs (e.g., overeating and binge eating) in models adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics and weight status. Interaction terms and stratified models examined whether family/parenting factors were protective for DEBs based on weight stigma status. Results: Higher family functioning and support for psychological autonomy were cross sectionally protective for DEBs. However, this pattern was primarily observed in adolescents who did not experience weight stigma. For example, among adolescents who did not experience peer weight teasing, high support for psychological autonomy was associated with lower prevalence of overeating (high support: 7.0\%, low support: 12.5\%, p = .003). Whereas, in participants who experienced family weight teasing, the difference in prevalence of overeating based on support for psychological autonomy was not statistically significant (high support: 17.9\%, low support: 22.4\%, p = .260). Discussion: General positive family and parenting factors did not entirely offset the effects of weight-stigmatizing experiences on DEBs, which may reflect the strength of weight stigma as a risk factor for DEBs. Future research is needed to identify effective strategies family members can use to support youth who experience weight stigma.",

keywords = "Bias, Eating behavior, Eating disorders, Parenting, Social stigma, Weight stigma",

author = "Laura Hooper and Puhl, \{Rebecca M.\} and Eisenberg, \{Marla E.\} and Berge, \{Jerica M.\} and Dianne Neumark-Sztainer",

note = "Funding Information: This study was supported by grant numbers R01HL127077 and R35HL139853 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (PI: Dianne Neumark-Sztainer). Laura Hooper's time was supported by the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (grant numbers TL1R002493 and UL1TR002494 ) and the National Institute of Mental Health (grant number T32 MH082761 ). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine",

year = "2023",

month = jul,

doi = "10.1016/j.jadohealth.2023.01.024",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "73",

pages = "44--52",

journal = "Journal of Adolescent Health",

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T1 - Can Family and Parenting Factors Modify the Impact of Weight Stigma on Disordered Eating in Young People? A Population-Based Longitudinal Study

AU - Hooper, Laura

AU - Puhl, Rebecca M.

AU - Eisenberg, Marla E.

AU - Berge, Jerica M.

AU - Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne

N1 - Funding Information: This study was supported by grant numbers R01HL127077 and R35HL139853 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (PI: Dianne Neumark-Sztainer). Laura Hooper's time was supported by the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (grant numbers TL1R002493 and UL1TR002494 ) and the National Institute of Mental Health (grant number T32 MH082761 ). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine

PY - 2023/7

Y1 - 2023/7

N2 - Purpose: Weight stigma is a prevalent problem in adolescents and a risk factor for disordered eating behaviors (DEBs). This study examined whether positive family/parenting factors were protective for DEBs among an ethnically/racially and socioeconomically diverse sample of adolescents with and without weight stigmatizing experiences. Methods: In Project Eating and Activity over Time (EAT) 2010–2018, 1,568 adolescents (mean age = 14.4 ± 2.0 years) were surveyed and followed into young adulthood (mean age = 22.2 ± 2.0 years). Modified Poisson regression models examined the relationships between three weight-stigmatizing experiences and four DEBs (e.g., overeating and binge eating) in models adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics and weight status. Interaction terms and stratified models examined whether family/parenting factors were protective for DEBs based on weight stigma status. Results: Higher family functioning and support for psychological autonomy were cross sectionally protective for DEBs. However, this pattern was primarily observed in adolescents who did not experience weight stigma. For example, among adolescents who did not experience peer weight teasing, high support for psychological autonomy was associated with lower prevalence of overeating (high support: 7.0%, low support: 12.5%, p = .003). Whereas, in participants who experienced family weight teasing, the difference in prevalence of overeating based on support for psychological autonomy was not statistically significant (high support: 17.9%, low support: 22.4%, p = .260). Discussion: General positive family and parenting factors did not entirely offset the effects of weight-stigmatizing experiences on DEBs, which may reflect the strength of weight stigma as a risk factor for DEBs. Future research is needed to identify effective strategies family members can use to support youth who experience weight stigma.

AB - Purpose: Weight stigma is a prevalent problem in adolescents and a risk factor for disordered eating behaviors (DEBs). This study examined whether positive family/parenting factors were protective for DEBs among an ethnically/racially and socioeconomically diverse sample of adolescents with and without weight stigmatizing experiences. Methods: In Project Eating and Activity over Time (EAT) 2010–2018, 1,568 adolescents (mean age = 14.4 ± 2.0 years) were surveyed and followed into young adulthood (mean age = 22.2 ± 2.0 years). Modified Poisson regression models examined the relationships between three weight-stigmatizing experiences and four DEBs (e.g., overeating and binge eating) in models adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics and weight status. Interaction terms and stratified models examined whether family/parenting factors were protective for DEBs based on weight stigma status. Results: Higher family functioning and support for psychological autonomy were cross sectionally protective for DEBs. However, this pattern was primarily observed in adolescents who did not experience weight stigma. For example, among adolescents who did not experience peer weight teasing, high support for psychological autonomy was associated with lower prevalence of overeating (high support: 7.0%, low support: 12.5%, p = .003). Whereas, in participants who experienced family weight teasing, the difference in prevalence of overeating based on support for psychological autonomy was not statistically significant (high support: 17.9%, low support: 22.4%, p = .260). Discussion: General positive family and parenting factors did not entirely offset the effects of weight-stigmatizing experiences on DEBs, which may reflect the strength of weight stigma as a risk factor for DEBs. Future research is needed to identify effective strategies family members can use to support youth who experience weight stigma.

KW - Bias

KW - Eating behavior

KW - Eating disorders

KW - Parenting

KW - Social stigma

KW - Weight stigma

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Can Family and Parenting Factors Modify the Impact of Weight Stigma on Disordered Eating in Young People? A Population-Based Longitudinal Study

Abstract

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