Adams Ryan E, Bukowski William M
Educational Studies Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA.
J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2008 Aug;49(8):858-66. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2008.01886.x. Epub 2008 Mar 19.
The current study examined the pathway from peer victimization to depressive symptoms and body mass index (BMI) as mediated by self-concept for physical appearance in both obese and non-obese adolescents. It was thought that this pathway would be particularly important for obese adolescents because, compared to non-obese adolescents, they are at risk for being victimized and because the victimization would be more likely to lead to lower self-concept.
Utilizing data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, the current study examined self-reports of peer victimization, self-concept for physical appearance, depressive symptoms, height, and weight in 1,287 adolescents at three time periods over four years starting when the participants were between the ages of 12 and 13.
For non-obese adolescents, victimization did not predict changes in depressive symptoms and body mass index (BMI) four years later. For obese females, the mediated pathway was found from victimization to self-concept to both depressive symptoms and increases in BMI. For obese males, the findings were more complicated. In this group, the mediated pathway was found from victimization to self-concept to decreases in BMI, but a mediated pathway was not found for depressive symptoms.
The current study suggests that a risk-factor for being victimized, such as obesity, may play an important role in the long-term effects of victimization by making it more likely that the adolescent will be victimized over the long term but also that victimization can reinforce the negative self-perceptions that the adolescent already has. It is important to go beyond using obesity as a predictor of long-term adjustment and examine the processes and experiences of obese individuals that might more directly cause depression or changes in health.
本研究探讨了在肥胖和非肥胖青少年中，同伴侵害经由外貌自我概念介导影响抑郁症状和体重指数（BMI）的途径。研究认为，这一途径对肥胖青少年尤为重要，因为与非肥胖青少年相比，他们更容易受到侵害，而且这种侵害更有可能导致较低的自我概念。
利用全国儿童和青少年纵向调查的数据，本研究在参与者12至13岁开始的四年内的三个时间段，对1287名青少年的同伴侵害、外貌自我概念、抑郁症状、身高和体重的自我报告进行了研究。
对于非肥胖青少年，侵害并不能预测四年后抑郁症状和体重指数（BMI）的变化。对于肥胖女性，发现了从侵害到自我概念再到抑郁症状和BMI增加的中介途径。对于肥胖男性，结果更为复杂。在这一组中，发现了从侵害到自我概念再到BMI下降的中介途径，但未发现抑郁症状的中介途径。
本研究表明，诸如肥胖等易受侵害的风险因素，可能在侵害的长期影响中发挥重要作用，因为它不仅使青少年更有可能长期受到侵害，而且侵害会强化青少年已有的负面自我认知。重要的是，不能仅仅将肥胖作为长期适应的预测因素，还应研究肥胖个体可能更直接导致抑郁或健康变化的过程和经历。
