The importance of weight-related victimization in adolescent obesity

Hubbard, Julie A.The goal of this study was to test a longitudinal serial mediation model in which weight-related peer victimization mediates the associations between obesity and a string of negative outcomes across the span of middle childhood (4th-5th grade) to adolescence (7th-8th grade). We hypothesized that youth with higher BMI are more likely to experience weight-related victimization and that this victimization sets off a chain of events including increased negative body cognitions, increased internalizing symptoms, and increased negative health behaviors which ultimately feeds back to adversely impact youth’s BMI. Within this goal, we examined bidirectional effects within pairs of constructs as well as the full model. ☐ During the 2013-2014 academic year, data were collected through classroom visits in fall (T1) and spring (T2) from 1440 students in 74 4th and 5th grade classrooms in 9 schools. At T1, data were collected through parent report on participants’ BMI. At T1 and T2, data were collected via child self report on weight-related victimization, negative body cognitions (body dissatisfaction, overconcern with weight) and internalizing symptoms (depression, anxiety) and via teacher report on internalizing symptoms (somatization, withdrawal, school avoidance). Data for the third time point (T3) were collected from 150 of these participants now in 7th or 8th grade. At T3, data were collected during home visits via self report on weight-related victimization, both negative body cognitions, all five internalizing symptoms, and two negative health behaviors (disordered eating behavior, physical activity). ☐ Analyses of bidirectional relations between T1 and T3 revealed significant cross-lag paths: 1) for both genders, positive bidirectional relations between BMI and weight-related victimization; and 2) for boys, earlier overconcern with weight predicting later anxiety, as well as positive bidirectional relations between overconcern with weight and somatization. No significant mediation effects emerged for models including negative body cognitions and internalizing symptoms. Auxiliary analyses revealed that weight-related victimization mediated the link between BMI and both physical activity and disordered eating. The importance of these findings on research on weight-related victimization and on clinical practice is discussed.University of Delaware, Department of Psychological and Brain SciencesPh.D