Adolescent Obesity and Young Adult Psychosocial Outcomes: Gender and Racial Differences

• NCJ Number: 224236
• Journal: Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 37 Issue: 9 Dated: October 2008 Pages: 1111-1122
• Author(s): Michael J. Merten; K.A.S. Wickrama; Amanda L. Williams
• Date Published: October 2008
• Length: 12 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Using a sample of 7,881 African-American (915 males and 1,073 females) and White (2,864 males and 3,029 females) adolescents from Waves I and III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, this study examined the adverse psychosocial experience encountered by obese adolescents as they reached young adulthood.

Abstract

The study found that obesity (defined as a body mass index [BMI] more than the 95th percentile for age and sex) among adolescent females was associated with a lower status attainment in young adulthood than normal-weight adolescent females. Status attainment measures the degree to which individuals are transitioning into adulthood. This transition is typically marked by progress and stability in the areas of postsecondary education, full-time employment, and job satisfaction. In addition, obese adolescent females had more depressive symptoms in young adulthood than normal-weight females, even after controlling for prior depressive symptoms in adolescence. In contrast to obese females, obesity in adolescent males was not associated with poorer psychosocial outcomes in young adulthood. There was no evidence of an interaction between obesity and race, indicating no significant difference in psychosocial outcomes for obese White adolescents compared to obese African-American adolescents. A study by Ge et al. (2001) found that adolescent girls experienced the highest levels of perception of being overweight compared with adolescent boys, which increases their risk of depressed mood. Obese young women are particularly vulnerable to psychosocial distress as societal pressures regarding body image are especially focused during adolescence and young adulthood. In the Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a nationally representative study of adolescents, both adolescents and parents were interviewed at home. The questionnaire obtained an array of information on health and lifestyle, including BMI, five variables related to young-adult status attainment, and depressive symptoms. 1 figure, 5 tables, and 65 references