Abstract
Objectives: To examine associations between weight misperception and youth health risk and protective factors. Methods: Three thousand ten US seventh- graders (72.1% white, mean age: 12.7 years) self-reported height, weight, risk, and protective factors. Analyses were conducted to determine cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between weight overestimation and health risk and protective factors. Results: Risk and protective factors had significant cross-sectional associations with weight overestimation. However, only depressive symptoms and reduced optimism predicted weight overestimation in eighth grade. Weight overestimation did not predict engagement in risky behaviors. Conclusions: Weight overestimation and risk factors appear to co-occur, suggesting a constellation of risk that warrants further research.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 797-806 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | American journal of health behavior |
Volume | 35 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2011 |
Keywords
- Depression
- Risk and protective factors
- Substance use
- Weight perception