Self-Esteem Among U.S. African American and Latinx Adolescents With Depressive Symptoms and Overweight and/or Obesity

Abstract

Purpose: To examine the concept of self-esteem among African American and Latinx adolescents with overweight and/or obesity and depressive symptoms in the United States. Method: Using key terms in CINAHL, PubMed, and PsycINFO databases, an initial search yielded 371 articles; after examining title, abstract, and full text, 33 articles remained. The concept of adolescent self-esteem was analyzed using Rodger's evolutionary method. Results: Several antecedents of self-esteem in this context were identified, including bullying, negative portrayal in the media, stressors and hassles, low socioeconomic status, dieting, and family dietary influences. Attributes identified were body image and misperception, body image dissatisfaction, diminished social status, and isolation. Consequences included stigma, somatic complaints, decreased earnings over a lifetime, decreased quality of life, lower educational attainment over a lifetime, and increased substance use. Increased self-esteem, increased number of friends, and in-depth friendships were associated with a lower risk of being overweight or obese. Conclusion: Adolescent self-esteem varied based on gender, racial and ethnic group, and changed over time in the African American population but remained static in the Latinx population. [ Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, xx (xx), xx–xx.]