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Unhealthy Weight Control Behaviors and Related Risk Factors in Massachusetts Middle and High School Students

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Abstract

Unhealthy weight control behaviors may be precursors to clinical eating disorders; therefore, it is important to identify these actions, and what may trigger them, as early as possible. We used 2009 and 2011 Massachusetts Youth Health Survey data for middle and high school students. We studied age, sex, and race disparities related to unhealthy weight control behaviors in conjunction with other risk factors such as body mass index (BMI), body weight perception, involvement in bullying, and depressive symptoms. The surveys were completed in public schools. Bivariate and multinomial regression analyses were conducted to assess associations between weight control behaviors and BMI categories, body weight perception, bullying involvement, and depressive symptoms. Poor body weight perception, bullying involvement, and depressive symptoms were associated with significantly elevated odds of reporting unhealthy weight control behaviors in both middle and high school students. Most patterns were consistent for middle and high school students, with obesity and bullying involvement being prevailing risks for high school students. Though females were more likely to report unhealthy weight control behaviors we also showed the rarely presented prevalence of male involvement in disordered eating behaviors including those who perceived themselves to be underweight. Health education classes and school-based interventions may be two strategies to help prevent the development of unhealthy weight control behaviors. Continuation of youth surveys that gather data on weight control behaviors and known risk factors is essential for observing changes in behaviors over time.

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Abbreviations

YHS:

Youth Health Survey

YRBS:

Youth Risk Behavior Survey

BMI:

Body mass index

CI:

Confidence interval

OR:

Odds ratio

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all of the students who participated in the 2009 and 2011 Massachusetts Youth Health Survey. We would also like to thank Anthony Roman and Chiniqua Milligan for their help with data collection and recruitment efforts. Thank you to Maria McKenna for her comments and guidance on data analysis. Thank you to Anne Sheetz for her help discussing school based interventions. Support for this study was provided by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

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None.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Health Survey Program, Bureau of Health Information, Statistics, Research, and Evaluation, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 250 Washington Street, 6th Floor, Boston, MA, 02108, USA

    Diane Gonsalves & Helen Hawk

  2. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Boston, MA, USA

    Carol Goodenow

Authors
  1. Diane Gonsalves
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  2. Helen Hawk
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  3. Carol Goodenow
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Correspondence to Diane Gonsalves.

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Gonsalves, D., Hawk, H. & Goodenow, C. Unhealthy Weight Control Behaviors and Related Risk Factors in Massachusetts Middle and High School Students. Matern Child Health J 18, 1803–1813 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-013-1424-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-013-1424-5

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