Citation

Kerr DCR, Gini G. Obes. Res. Clin. Pract. 2017; 11(6): 640-646.

Affiliation

Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padua, Italy.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.orcp.2017.07.005

PMID

28811177

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Being teased and otherwise victimised by peers during childhood increases risk for obesity. However, few prospective studies have considered whether risk extends to adulthood. We tested whether being teased in childhood predicted higher body mass index (BMI) and increased odds of obesity in early adulthood in a community sample of American males.

METHOD: Boys (n=206) were classified as victims of peer teasing or non-victims (n=55 and 151, respectively) based on mother, father, and teacher reports at ages 10-12 years. BMI was assessed at ages 24 or 32 years for 203 of the participants. Family income, parent and child depressive symptoms, child antisocial behaviour, and childhood BMI were assessed at ages 10-13 years and served as control variables.

RESULTS: In unadjusted comparisons, childhood victims did not differ significantly from non-victims on BMI (mean [SD]=27.49 [4.53] and 26.97 [4.60], respectively) or rates of obesity (42% and 31%, respectively) in early adulthood. In adjusted models, no group differences emerged for BMI (β [95% confidence interval (CI)]=.02 [-.09 to.13], p=.77) or obesity (odds ratio [95% CI]=1.58 [.67-3.71], p=.30).

CONCLUSIONS: Peer victimization has been associated with immediate and long-term maladjustment outcomes that are in some cases life threatening. However, our null results do not support that peer victimization significantly increases long-term risk for obesity, and findings are consistent with two other long-term prospective studies of this issue.

Copyright © 2017 Asia Oceania Association for the Study of Obesity. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Bullying; Childhood; Longitudinal; Obesity; Peer teasing