Trends in the perceived body size of adolescent males and females in Scotland, 1990–2014: changing associations with mental well-being

Ross David Whitehead; Alina Paula Cosma; Joanne Elizabeth Cecil; Candace Evelyn Currie; Dorothy Bruce Currie; Fergus Gilmour Neville; Joanna Catherine Inchley

doi:10.1007/s00038-017-0997-y

Trends in the perceived body size of adolescent males and females in Scotland, 1990–2014: changing associations with mental well-being

Ross David Whitehead, Alina Paula Cosma, Joanne Elizabeth Cecil, Candace Evelyn Currie, Dorothy Bruce Currie, Fergus Gilmour Neville, Joanna Catherine Inchley

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

Abstract

Objectives:
This paper explores trends in Scottish adolescents’ body size perceptions and associated mental well-being outcomes.
Methods:
Data were collected on Scottish 11, 13 and 15-year olds by the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study between 1990 and 2014 (n=42,312). Logistic regression was used to examine changes in the prevalence of over- and underweight perceptions. Ordinal and linear regression was used to examine changes in the association between body perception and mental well-being.
Results:
Little change was observed in over- or under-weight perceptions between 1990 and 2014. However, relative to those perceiving their body as ‘about right’, those perceiving themselves as overweight reported decreasing confidence (all groups), decreasing happiness (11- and 13-year old girls) and increasing psychological symptoms (all girls and 15 year-old boys). Perceived underweight is associated with poor well-being, especially in males, but we present little evidence that this is a recent phenomenon.
Conclusions:
We present evidence suggesting that the influence of body image on adolescent mental health is increasing over time. This may play a role in the recently observed worsening of mental well-being in Scottish adolescents.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	69-80
Number of pages	12
Journal	International Journal of Public Health
Volume	63
Issue number	1
Early online date	1 Jul 2017
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-017-0997-y
Publication status	Published - Jan 2018

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Keywords

Body image
Body size perception
Overweight
Underweight
Adolescents
Mental well-being

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Whitehead-2017-Trends-in-Scottish-IJPH-CC
© The Author(s) 2017. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.
Final published version, 1.1 MBLicence: CC BY

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Cite this

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title = "Trends in the perceived body size of adolescent males and females in Scotland, 1990–2014: changing associations with mental well-being",

abstract = "Objectives: This paper explores trends in Scottish adolescents{\textquoteright} body size perceptions and associated mental well-being outcomes. Methods: Data were collected on Scottish 11, 13 and 15-year olds by the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study between 1990 and 2014 (n=42,312). Logistic regression was used to examine changes in the prevalence of over- and underweight perceptions. Ordinal and linear regression was used to examine changes in the association between body perception and mental well-being. Results: Little change was observed in over- or under-weight perceptions between 1990 and 2014. However, relative to those perceiving their body as {\textquoteleft}about right{\textquoteright}, those perceiving themselves as overweight reported decreasing confidence (all groups), decreasing happiness (11- and 13-year old girls) and increasing psychological symptoms (all girls and 15 year-old boys). Perceived underweight is associated with poor well-being, especially in males, but we present little evidence that this is a recent phenomenon. Conclusions: We present evidence suggesting that the influence of body image on adolescent mental health is increasing over time. This may play a role in the recently observed worsening of mental well-being in Scottish adolescents. ",

keywords = "Body image, Body size perception, Overweight, Underweight, Adolescents, Mental well-being",

author = "Whitehead, \{Ross David\} and Cosma, \{Alina Paula\} and Cecil, \{Joanne Elizabeth\} and Currie, \{Candace Evelyn\} and Currie, \{Dorothy Bruce\} and Neville, \{Fergus Gilmour\} and Inchley, \{Joanna Catherine\}",

year = "2018",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1007/s00038-017-0997-y",

language = "English",

volume = "63",

pages = "69--80",

journal = "International Journal of Public Health",

issn = "1661-8556",

publisher = "Frontiers Media SA",

number = "1",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Trends in the perceived body size of adolescent males and females in Scotland, 1990–2014

T2 - changing associations with mental well-being

AU - Whitehead, Ross David

AU - Cosma, Alina Paula

AU - Cecil, Joanne Elizabeth

AU - Currie, Candace Evelyn

AU - Currie, Dorothy Bruce

AU - Neville, Fergus Gilmour

AU - Inchley, Joanna Catherine

PY - 2018/1

Y1 - 2018/1

N2 - Objectives: This paper explores trends in Scottish adolescents’ body size perceptions and associated mental well-being outcomes. Methods: Data were collected on Scottish 11, 13 and 15-year olds by the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study between 1990 and 2014 (n=42,312). Logistic regression was used to examine changes in the prevalence of over- and underweight perceptions. Ordinal and linear regression was used to examine changes in the association between body perception and mental well-being. Results: Little change was observed in over- or under-weight perceptions between 1990 and 2014. However, relative to those perceiving their body as ‘about right’, those perceiving themselves as overweight reported decreasing confidence (all groups), decreasing happiness (11- and 13-year old girls) and increasing psychological symptoms (all girls and 15 year-old boys). Perceived underweight is associated with poor well-being, especially in males, but we present little evidence that this is a recent phenomenon. Conclusions: We present evidence suggesting that the influence of body image on adolescent mental health is increasing over time. This may play a role in the recently observed worsening of mental well-being in Scottish adolescents.

AB - Objectives: This paper explores trends in Scottish adolescents’ body size perceptions and associated mental well-being outcomes. Methods: Data were collected on Scottish 11, 13 and 15-year olds by the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study between 1990 and 2014 (n=42,312). Logistic regression was used to examine changes in the prevalence of over- and underweight perceptions. Ordinal and linear regression was used to examine changes in the association between body perception and mental well-being. Results: Little change was observed in over- or under-weight perceptions between 1990 and 2014. However, relative to those perceiving their body as ‘about right’, those perceiving themselves as overweight reported decreasing confidence (all groups), decreasing happiness (11- and 13-year old girls) and increasing psychological symptoms (all girls and 15 year-old boys). Perceived underweight is associated with poor well-being, especially in males, but we present little evidence that this is a recent phenomenon. Conclusions: We present evidence suggesting that the influence of body image on adolescent mental health is increasing over time. This may play a role in the recently observed worsening of mental well-being in Scottish adolescents.

KW - Body image

KW - Body size perception

KW - Overweight

KW - Underweight

KW - Adolescents

KW - Mental well-being

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DO - 10.1007/s00038-017-0997-y

M3 - Article

SN - 1661-8556

VL - 63

SP - 69

EP - 80

JO - International Journal of Public Health

JF - International Journal of Public Health

IS - 1

ER -

Trends in the perceived body size of adolescent males and females in Scotland, 1990–2014: changing associations with mental well-being

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

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Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) (2013/2014 Survey)

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Trends in the perceived body size of adolescent males and females in Scotland, 1990–2014: changing associations with mental well-being

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

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Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) (2013/2014 Survey)

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