Body Weight Dissatisfaction and Health Risk Behaviors in Adolescents

Abstract

Body weight dissatisfaction has been described as a marker for various health diseases, given its direct association with social, physical, and emotional suffering. We investigated the association between body weight dissatisfaction and health risk behaviors in adolescents. This was a cross-sectional study conducted with 668 adolescents aged 14–19 years in the city of São José, southern Brazil. Body weight satisfaction/dissatisfaction was assessed using a questionnaire validated for the investigated population. Health risk behaviors included smoking, alcohol, illicit drugs, medication, non-prescription anabolic steroids, not using seatbelt, unsafe sexual behavior and not knowing how to deal with day-to-day stress. Among males, 66.1% were dissatisfied with their body weight (32.1% due to thinness and 34.0% due to overweight). Among females, 80.0% were dissatisfied with their body weight (24.5% due to thinness and 55.5% due to overweight). There were no significant differences regarding health risk behaviors according to body weight satisfaction/dissatisfaction and sex. Compared to males who were satisfied with their body weight, those who were dissatisfied due to being overweight were more likely to be using tobacco (OR: 2.9; 95% CI: 2.1–4.2), alcohol (OR: 1.7; 95% CI: 1.5–1.9) and anabolic steroids (OR: 2.7; 95% CI: 1.2–5.7). Compared to females who were satisfied with their body weight, those who were dissatisfied due to thinness were more likely to be consuming alcoholic beverages (OR: 1.6; 95% CI: 1.2–2.0) and less likely to be consuming illicit drugs (OR: 0.5; 95% CI: 0.3–0.8). Interventions aimed at health education regarding the non-adoption of risk behaviors such as alcohol and tobacco use, as well as the non-use of anabolic steroids, and favoring the maintenance of general health, may be important for adolescents with body dissatisfaction. These data suggest that health risk behaviors such as adolescent male use of tobacco, alcohol, and anabolic steroids and the use of alcohol and drugs by female adolescents can be related to body weight dissatisfaction.