Weight satisfaction and self-esteem among teenagers in Helsinki, Moscow and Tallinn

Bulimia Symptoms in Russian Youth: Prevalence and Association With Internalizing Problems

BACKGROUND

There has been limited research on bulimia symptoms in adolescents from the general population outside the United States. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of bulimia symptoms in Russian youth and explore the associations between a clinical level of self-reported probable bulimia nervosa (BN) and internalizing problems, binge drinking and functional impairment by gender.

METHODS

Data were collected from a representative sample of school students (N = 2,515, 59.5% female) from Northern Russia [age M (SD) = 14.89 ± 1.13 years]. Probable BN and internalizing psychopathology were assessed using self-report scales. Chi-square and independent sample t-tests were used to compare respondents' demographic characteristics and disordered eating behaviors. GLM multivariate analysis of covariance was used to assess the associations between probable BN, functional impairment and mental health problems (MHP) by gender.

RESULTS

Analyses showed that the 3-month prevalence of probable BN was higher in girls (3.9%) than in boys (1.2%). Probable BN was associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms, somatic anxiety, somatic complaints, binge drinking and functional impairment. Boys reported a higher level of problem scores in relation to probable BN.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that bulimia symptoms are prevalent in Russian adolescents and are associated with MHP and functional impairment. Timely recognition of bulimia symptoms and associated MHP is important for early prevention and intervention strategies.

Gendered Body Mass and Life Satisfaction Among Youth in Three Western European Immigrant-Receiving Countries

In this study we aim to show distinctive patterns of the association between body weight and life satisfaction for adolescent boys and girls, respectively. We understand such patterns by bringing multiple mediating factors into one theoretical framework centred on normative perceptions. By drawing data from the first wave of the CILS4EU that captures 14-15-year-olds in Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden, findings show that psychological factors, indicated by self-esteem and mental state, explain the association between BMI and life dissatisfaction substantially, for both boys and girls. Relationships with parents (particularly among boys) and relationships with peers (particularly among girls) also play significant roles. Moreover, the association between being underweight and life satisfaction among girls varies across ethno-racial groups. Girls originating from Eastern Europe have a tendency to gain more life satisfaction when being underweight, whereas girls rooted in Sub-Saharan African and Caribbean countries display consistently low levels of life satisfaction when being underweight.

Binge drinking and eating problems in Russian adolescents

BACKGROUND

Binge drinking may be linked to problematic eating behavior, although as yet, little research has been conducted on this association. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between binge drinking and eating problems in Russian adolescents.

METHODS

Data were drawn from the Social and Health Assessment, a cross-sectional school-based survey of 6th to 10th grade students (aged 12 to 17 years old) carried out in Arkhangelsk, Russia. Information was collected on various eating problems (worries about weight, feeling fat, excessive eating, fasting and excessive exercise, and purging behaviors) and binge drinking (5 or more drinks in a row). Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between binge drinking and eating problems.

RESULTS

Among the 2,488 adolescents included in the statistical analysis, nearly 50% of girls expressed worries about their weight, while 35.0 and 41.5% of adolescent boys and girls reported excessive eating, respectively. The prevalence of purging behaviors (vomiting/using laxatives) was, however, much lower among both sexes (females—2.6%; males—3.3%). In a regression model adjusted for demographic factors and depressive symptoms, among girls, binge drinking was associated with 5 of the 6 eating problems with odds ratios (ORs) ranging from 1.21 (upset about weight gain) to 1.68 (excessive eating). For boys, binge drinking was linked to feeling overweight (OR: 1.47, confidence interval [CI]: 1.20 to 1.81) and vomiting/used laxatives (OR: 4.13, CI: 1.58 to 10.80).

CONCLUSIONS

Many adolescents in Russia report problematic eating attitudes and behaviors, and eating problems are associated with binge drinking. More research is now needed in this setting to better understand adolescent eating problems and their association with alcohol misuse, so that contextually suitable interventions can be implemented to reduce these behaviors and mitigate their potentially detrimental effects.

Tracking excess weight and obesity from childhood to young adulthood: a 12-year prospective cohort study in Slovenia

Objective

The objective was to examine the tracking of obesity from childhood to young adulthood in Slovenia.

Subjects

A subsample included 4833 children from the Slovenian national sample (n 21 777) who were included in the SLOFIT monitoring system from 1997 to 2008, with complete data at 7 years and 18 years.

Design

A 12-year prospective cohort study. Height, weight and triceps skinfold thickness (TSF) were measured at 7, 11, 14 and 18 years. The BMI cut-off points of the International Obesity Taskforce were used to identify excess weight and obesity.

Setting

The survey was conducted in Slovenian primary and secondary schools from 1988 to 2008 but only the data from the measurements in 1997, 2001, 2004 and 2008 are presented.

Results

Height, weight and BMI at 18 years were well predicted from childhood and became more predictable with age, while TSF was not. Obese and overweight children had the greatest risk of becoming obese or overweight young adults. The history of their weight shows that 40·0 % of males and 48·6 % of females who were obese at 18 years had already been obese at 7 years.

Conclusions

Overweight or obese Slovenian children are more likely to become overweight or obese adolescents and young adults than reported in other similar European and American studies, which indicates the need for early prevention and treatment of excess weight and obesity.

Body image perceptions in Western and post-communist countries: a cross-cultural pilot study of children and parents

The development of an unrealistic ideal body image and body size dissatisfaction among children is common in Western countries, including the USA and many European nations. However, little is known about children's body image perceptions in post-communist countries. This pilot study evaluated body image perceptions in a sample of Czech school-aged children and their parents and compared them with the perceptions of American children and parents. Ninety-seven Czech and 45 American 4th-6th graders and their parents from eight urban schools participated in this study. A previously developed silhouette body image instrument was utilized in a parent questionnaire and during child interviews to measure perceived and ideal body image perceptions of children and parents. Descriptive statistics, independent t-tests and paired t-tests were used to compare differences between children's and parents' perceived and ideal body image perceptions. Associations between body image perceptions and other variables were explored using bivariate correlations. American children had a thinner ideal body image compared with Czech children (P < 0.05). However, a larger proportion of Czech boys desired to be thinner compared with American boys (34.2% vs. 20%). Parent's ideal body image for their children did not differ by nationality (P = 0.858). While the pressure on children to look thinner was apparent among both American and Czech children, Czech children considered a larger body size as more ideal. A future study should evaluate body image perceptions and factors influencing these perceptions in a representative sample of Czech children and parents.