Abstract
There is no published report on the sex differences in the prospective influence of perceived body weight on suicidal ideation
in adolescents. To examine sex differences in the longitudinal relationship between perceived body weight and suicidal ideation
among a representative sample of US middle and high school students. Two waves of longitudinal data from 7th–12th grade US
adolescents (N = 4,717) in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health were analyzed using hierarchical multivariable
logistic regression for suicidal ideation 1 year after perceived body weight was measured. Overweight perception significantly
increased the risk for suicidal ideation in girls (adjusted odds ratio in the full model = 1.41, p < .05) but not in boys after controlling for previously well-documented risk factors of suicidal ideation. Overweight perception
appears to increase the risk for suicidal ideation in girls. It is important to address perceived body weight among girls
in suicide prevention interventions.
in adolescents. To examine sex differences in the longitudinal relationship between perceived body weight and suicidal ideation
among a representative sample of US middle and high school students. Two waves of longitudinal data from 7th–12th grade US
adolescents (N = 4,717) in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health were analyzed using hierarchical multivariable
logistic regression for suicidal ideation 1 year after perceived body weight was measured. Overweight perception significantly
increased the risk for suicidal ideation in girls (adjusted odds ratio in the full model = 1.41, p < .05) but not in boys after controlling for previously well-documented risk factors of suicidal ideation. Overweight perception
appears to increase the risk for suicidal ideation in girls. It is important to address perceived body weight among girls
in suicide prevention interventions.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-10
- DOI 10.1007/s10865-012-9444-y
- Authors
- Dong-Chul Seo, Department of Applied Health Science, Indiana University, 1025 E. 7th Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
- Chung Gun Lee, Department of Applied Health Science, Indiana University, 1025 E. 7th Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
- Journal Journal of Behavioral Medicine
- Online ISSN 1573-3521
- Print ISSN 0160-7715