Pungnap Middle School, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
BMC Pediatr. 2023 Sep 14;23(1):464. doi: 10.1186/s12887-023-04299-1.
Misperceptions about obesity is common among adolescents. Adolescents who overestimate their body size tend to indulge in extreme weight control behaviors. However, little is known about the factors involved in the adoption of extreme weight control behavior (EWCB) by non-obese adolescents who are mistaken for being overweight. This study identified factors associated with unhealthy behaviors among normal/underweight high school students who overestimate their body image and attempt to lose weight.
A secondary analysis of nationally representative data from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey focused on adolescents who attended vocational and academically oriented high schools.
The analysis included data from 4,286 non-obese respondents (15-18 years) who overestimated their body weight. Of them, 2,887 were girls (66.5%), while 1,399 were boys (33.5%). Multiple logistic regression was used to investigate risk factors for EWCB by sex. A statistical analysis reflecting strata, clusters, and weights of the complex sampling design was adopted.
Of the respondents, 674 (23.3%) girls and 162 (11.5%) boys reported EWCB. For both sexes, vocational high school attendance and depression were significantly influenced by EWCB. EWCB was linked to perceived stress in girls and living in a big city in boys.
The findings suggest the importance of providing quality health education, including that for non-obese adolescents, in school obesity prevention programs along with the expansion of tailored intervention programs based on sex, following a consideration of the characteristics of high schools as well as individuals.
青少年普遍存在对肥胖的误解。高估自己体型的青少年往往会沉迷于极端的体重控制行为。然而，对于因被误认为超重而采取极端体重控制行为（EWCB）的非肥胖青少年，人们对涉及的因素知之甚少。本研究旨在确定高估自身体型并试图减肥的正常/低体重高中生中与不健康行为相关的因素。
利用韩国青少年风险行为调查的全国代表性数据进行二次分析，该调查对象为职业和学术导向型高中的青少年。
分析包括 4286 名非肥胖应答者（15-18 岁）的数据，这些应答者高估了自己的体重。其中，2887 名为女生（66.5%），1399 名为男生（33.5%）。采用多因素逻辑回归分析按性别调查 EWCB 的危险因素。采用反映复杂抽样设计的分层、聚类和权重的统计分析。
在应答者中，674 名女生（23.3%）和 162 名男生（11.5%）报告了 EWCB。对于男女两性，职业高中就读和抑郁均显著影响 EWCB。女生的 EWCB 与感知压力有关，而男生的 EWCB 与居住在大城市有关。
研究结果表明，在学校肥胖预防计划中提供高质量的健康教育，包括对非肥胖青少年的教育，以及根据性别、高中特点和个体特征，扩大量身定制的干预计划，这一点非常重要。
