IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v16y2019i6p990-d215252.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Weight Perception, Weight Control Intentions, and Dietary Intakes among Adolescents Ages 10–15 Years in the United States

Author

Listed:
  • Andrea L. Deierlein

    (College of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA)

  • Alomi Malkan

    (College of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA)

  • Jaqueline Litvak

    (College of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA)

  • Niyati Parekh

    (College of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
    Department of Population Health, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA)

Abstract

Background: To examine associations of adolescents’ weight status perception and weight control intentions with dietary intakes. Methods: Cross-sectional data from adolescents aged 10–15 in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, 2005–2014 (n = 4940). Adolescents responded to questions regarding weight perception and if they were trying to change their weight. Intakes of calories, protein, carbohydrate, fat, saturated fat, sugar, and fiber were assessed using 24-h dietary recalls. Multivariable linear regression estimated associations of intakes with weight perception and weight control intentions. Results: The majority of adolescents perceived their weight as “about right”; however, 45% and 46% of boys and girls, respectively, reported trying to change their weight. Weight perception was not associated with intakes, with the exception of lower sugar (−13.65 g, 95% CI: −23.06, −4.23) and higher percent calories from protein (1.01%, 95% CI: 0.16, 1.87) in boys with overweight/obesity who perceived themselves as overweight, as well as lower percent calories from saturated fat (−1.04%, 95% CI: −2.24, −0.17) among girls with normal weight who perceived themselves as overweight. Weight control intentions were associated with intakes in boys only. Compared to boys who never tried to lose weight, boys who tried to lose weight consumed fewer calories (−188.34 kcal, 95% CI: −357.67, −19.01), a lower percent of calories from fat (−1.41%, 95% CI: −2.80, −0.02), and a greater percent of calories from protein (1.48%, 95% CI: 0.41, 2.55). Conclusions: Despite perceiving weight as “about right”, many adolescents reported trying to change their weight, which was associated with some dietary intakes. Efforts may be necessary to educate adolescents on healthy nutrition and weight management behaviors.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrea L. Deierlein & Alomi Malkan & Jaqueline Litvak & Niyati Parekh, 2019. "Weight Perception, Weight Control Intentions, and Dietary Intakes among Adolescents Ages 10–15 Years in the United States," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-10, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:6:p:990-:d:215252
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/6/990/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/6/990/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Maoyong Fan & Yanhong Jin, 2015. "The Effects of Weight Perception on Adolescents’ Weight-Loss Intentions and Behaviors: Evidence from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-29, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Roohi Kharofa & Robert Siegel & Kristin Stackpole, 2019. "What to Do about Childhood Obesity?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-4, October.
    2. Furong Xu & Steven A. Cohen & Mary L. Greaney & Disa L. Hatfield & Geoffrey W. Greene, 2019. "Racial/Ethnic Disparities in US Adolescents’ Dietary Quality and Its Modification by Weight-Related Factors and Physical Activity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-15, November.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Rasa Jankauskiene & Migle Baceviciene & Simona Pajaujiene & Dana Badau, 2019. "Are Adolescent Body Image Concerns Associated with Health-Compromising Physical Activity Behaviours?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-13, April.
    2. Furong Xu & Steven A. Cohen & Mary L. Greaney & Geoffrey W. Greene, 2018. "The Association between US Adolescents’ Weight Status, Weight Perception, Weight Satisfaction, and Their Physical Activity and Dietary Behaviors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-13, September.
    3. Francesco Napolitano & Francesco Bencivenga & Erika Pompili & Italo Francesco Angelillo, 2019. "Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors toward Eating Disorders among Adolescents in Italy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-11, April.
    4. Rasa Jankauskiene & Migle Baceviciene, 2019. "Body Image Concerns and Body Weight Overestimation Do Not Promote Healthy Behaviour: Evidence from Adolescents in Lithuania," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-14, March.
    5. Anda-Valentina Trandafir & Maria Fraseniuc & Lucia Maria Lotrean, 2022. "Assessment of Actual Weight, Perceived Weight and Desired Weight of Romanian School Children-Opinions and Practices of Children and Their Parents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-16, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:6:p:990-:d:215252. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.