Abstract
The aim of the present study was to analyse the longitudinal concomitants of incorrect weight perception, depressive symptoms, social anxiety, self-esteem, and eating disorders in adolescents. A prospective follow-up study on 283 female and 312 male adolescents aged 15 comprising questionnaires directed at the whole study population and subsequent personal interviews with adolescents found to be screen-positive for eating disorders, at both baseline and three-year follow-up. Body mass index was combined with weight perception to classify adolescents with incorrect weight perception. Twenty-nine percent of females incorrectly perceived themselves as overweight and 14% of males incorrectly as underweight. Incorrect weight perception was in females related to depressive symptoms, social anxiety, eating disorders, and low self-esteem. Males with incorrect weight perception experienced more social anxiety at the follow-up than their counterparts with correct weight perception. Recognition of incorrect weight perception is important for prevention of depression, social anxiety, and eating disorders. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
| Original language | Undefined/Unknown |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 58–63 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Body Image |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2011 |
| MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Keywords
- Weight perception
- self-esteem
- anxiety
- Depression
- Eating disorders