Parent responsiveness and gender moderate bidirectional links between self-esteem and weight concerns during adolescence

The bidirectional associations between self-esteem and problematic eating behaviors in adolescents

OBJECTIVE

Theories propose that low self-esteem and problematic eating behaviors (PEBs) negatively impact each other. While previous studies suggested bidirectional associations between self-esteem and PEBs, they did not separate within-person from between-person associations. Therefore, this prospective study investigated the within-person bidirectional associations between self-esteem and four PEBs in adolescence, while accounting for between-person differences.

METHOD

We used two independent longitudinal samples of Dutch adolescents, each including three annually collected waves of data. Sample 1 consisted of 1856 adolescents (Baseline: 50.4% males; Mage  = 13.79 years, SDage  = 0.72), with measures of self-esteem, emotional eating, restrained eating, and loss of control (LOC) while overeating. Sample 2 consisted of 555 adolescents (Baseline: 49.7% males; Mage  = 13.13 years, SDage  = 0.68), with measures of self-esteem and LOC eating. The data were analyzed using random intercept cross-lagged panel models (CLPMs).

RESULTS

Within persons, lower self-esteem was associated with higher emotional and restrained eating (both Sample 1) one year later, and vice versa. Self-esteem did not predict, nor was predicted by, LOC while overeating (Sample 1) or LOC eating (Sample 2). Between persons, self-esteem was negatively correlated with all PEBs (Samples 1 and 2).

DISCUSSION

We found within-person bidirectional associations between low self-esteem and emotional and restrained eating (but not LOC while overeating/LOC eating), and between-person correlations between low self-esteem and all PEBs. These results have theoretical and practical implications. Within-person processes clarify underlying mechanisms that explain the occurrence of PEBs; between-person associations are important to identify adolescents at risk of PEBs.

PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE

While theories indicate that low self-esteem and PEBs are inversely associated within individuals, empirical studies have not disentangled within-person processes from between-person differences. This study addressed this disparity, finding that lower self-esteem was bidirectionally associated with higher emotional and restrained eating (but not LOC eating) within persons. These findings suggest that enhancing self-esteem is a viable option for prevention and intervention.

Weight Concerns in Black Youth: The Role of Body Mass Index, Gender, and Sociocultural Factors

Weight concerns are prevalent among Black adolescents and have negative ramifications for well-being. We examined racial identity and racial socialization as potential sociocultural resources that might mitigate the development of weight concerns among Black adolescents, and we evaluated gender differences in these links. Participants were 132 Black youth (45% female; M age = 14.33 years at Time 1) who completed two annual home interviews. Results revealed that for adolescents with high (but not low) body mass indices (BMI), racial identity may be protective against developing weight concerns. Further, fathers' (but not mothers') racial socialization was protective against weight concerns for girls with high BMI. Findings highlight the importance of sociocultural contexts toward refining theory and advancing evidence-based practice.

A comic-based body image intervention for adolescents in semi-rural Indian schools: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Adolescents in India experience body dissatisfaction, however, empirically supported interventions are lacking. This paper describes the protocol for the development, acceptability testing, and cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a six-session comic-based intervention, which aims to improve body image and related outcomes among adolescents in semi-rural Indian schools. If found to be acceptable and effective, UNICEF will disseminate the intervention across schools in eight states of India. The acceptability study will be conducted with 24 students in Classes 6-8 (age 11-14) and nine teachers from Hindi-medium government schools using interviews and focus groups. The subsequent RCT will be conducted with 2400 students, with schools randomized to either the comic-based intervention or lessons-as-usual (control) groups. The primary outcome is body esteem, and secondary outcomes are disordered eating, appearance ideal internalization, body-image-related life disengagement, self-esteem, negative affect, and positive affect. Additional exploratory outcome measures are skin colour dissatisfaction, body hair dissatisfaction, appearance-based teasing, and endorsement of traditional gender roles. These outcomes will be examined at three timepoints: baseline (T1), 1 week-post-intervention (T2), and 12-weeks follow-up (T3). Analyses will compare outcomes in the intervention with the control group. This will be the first study to evaluate a body image intervention for adolescents in semi-rural Indian schools.

Developmental timing of parent-youth intimacy as a protective factor for adolescent adjustment problems

Parent-youth intimacy protects adolescents from adjustment problems, including weight concerns, low self-esteem, and depressive symptoms. This study aimed to identify when in development parent-youth intimacy emerges as a protective factor, how this protective effect changes in its strength across adolescence, and whether there are differences in intimacy-adjustment linkages depending on parent and youth gender. The sample was 388 predominately White American adolescents (50.8% female; ages 12-20 years, M = 15.2, SD = 1.63 at Time 1) from 202 families. Time-varying effect models revealed that associations between intimacy and adjustment problems were dynamic and differed by parent and youth gender and across adjustment problems. Father-youth intimacy was associated with fewer weight concerns across most of adolescence for girls and boys, and these effects were strongest in mid- and late adolescence, respectively. Mother-youth intimacy was associated with boys' but not girls' weight concerns, and only in early adolescence. Father-youth intimacy was associated with fewer depressive symptoms for boys and girls across most of adolescence, whereas mother-youth intimacy was associated with fewer depressive symptoms in mid-adolescence. However, the association between intimacy and depressive symptoms was strongest during mid-adolescence for mother- and father-youth intimacy. Finally, father-youth intimacy was associated with higher self-esteem from early through mid-adolescence for boys and girls, whereas mother-youth intimacy was associated with higher self-esteem across most of adolescence for girls and during early and late adolescence for boys. Findings have implications for the timing and targets of family interventions and highlight parents' unique and shared roles in adolescents' adjustment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

The developmental course of the link between weight concerns and cigarette use across adolescence: Differences by gender

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to illuminate developmental changes and gender differences in the link between weight concerns and cigarette use across adolescence. Specifically, we examined whether and how the strength of the association between weight concerns and cigarette use changed across adolescence, and whether patterns of association differed between boys and girls.

METHOD

Participants were 397 predominately White adolescents ages 11-18 years (50.5% female) from a longitudinal observational study conducted in the United States.

RESULTS

Time-varying effect modeling revealed that even after adjusting for BMI, the association between weight concerns and cigarette use was positive and significant for girls from age 11.3 to 15.9, with the strongest association at 12.7 years. For boys, this association was non-significant throughout adolescence.

DISCUSSION

Results suggest a sensitive period in early- to mid-adolescence during which girls with weight concerns may be at heightened risk for cigarette use. Findings have implications for the developmental timing of interventions to prevent cigarette use and weight concerns and suggest that tailored interventions for girls may be warranted.

Interparental conflict and gender moderate the prospective link between parents' perceptions of adolescents' weight and weight concerns

OBJECTIVE

Parents' comments about their adolescents' weight have been linked with adolescents' disordered eating, but we know little about the personal and contextual conditions that promote or mitigate the effects of parents' perceptions on adolescents' weight concerns. This study examined whether the prospective association between parents' perceptions of adolescents' weight and adolescents' weight concerns differed as a function of exposure to interparental conflict or adolescent gender.

METHOD

Participants were 386 adolescents (52% female; ages 11-18 years; predominately Caucasian/European American) from 197 families (i.e., up to two adolescents per family) and their parents. Two-parent families with a firstborn child in 8th, 9th, or 10th grade and a secondborn child 1-4 years younger were recruited to participate in a short-term longitudinal study of adolescent development and family relationships. Annual home interviews were conducted with adolescents and parents. Multilevel models tested whether parents' perceptions of adolescents' weight predicted adolescents' weight concerns one year later and whether interparental conflict and youth gender moderated this prospective association.

RESULTS

A significant three-way interaction revealed that when interparental conflict was low, increases in fathers' but not mothers' perceptions of daughters' overweight predicted increases in daughters' weight concerns the following year. In contrast, females exposed to high interparental conflict reported elevated weight concerns the following year regardless of parents' perceptions. Results for males were not significant.

DISCUSSION

Findings highlight the role of personal and family context characteristics in the development of weight concerns and the value of addressing family processes within preventive interventions for adolescent females' weight concerns.