Table 1.
Distribution of self-esteem, body dissatisfaction scores, and self-perception of weight, health status, and coping skills among normal weight and overweight children and adolescents
| BMI
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | < 85th Percentile | 85–94th percentile | ≥ 95th Percentile | p Value | |
| Self-esteem score (mean, SE)a | 113 | ||||
| Peer | 9.30 (0.23)ac | 8.78 (0.34) | 8.04 (0.39)a | 0.03 | |
| School | 9.32 (0.32) | 9.33 (0.36) | 8.94 (0.40) | 0.61 | |
| Home | 13.97 (0.35) | 13.78 (0.67) | 13.21 (0.57) | 0.46 | |
| Desired body size score (mean, SE)a | 109 | ||||
| All subjects | 3.24 (0.13) | 3.57 (0.26) | 3.51 (0.20) | 0.41 | |
| Boys | 3.55 (0.22) | 3.71 (0.36) | 4.16 (0.19) | 0.13 | |
| Girls | 3.03 (0.16) | 3.50 (0.36) | 2.90 (0.30) | 0.30 | |
| Body size dissatisfaction score (mean, SE)a | |||||
| All subjects | 109 | 0.18 (0.18)a | 1.48 (0.32)b | 2.85 (0.25)a,b | < 0.0001 |
| Boys | 46 | 0.30 (0.26)c | 1.53 (0.58) | 2.16 (0.30)c | 0.0002 |
| Girls | 63 | 0.10 (0.26)e | 1.52 (0.41)f | 3.50 (0.36)e,f | < 0.0001 |
| Attempts to lose weight (%)b | 110 | ||||
| Trying to lose weight | 22.4 | 57.1 | 92.5 | ||
| Trying to stay the same | 57.1 | 42.9 | 5.0 | < 0.0001 | |
| Trying to gain weight | 20.4 | 0.0 | 2.5 | ||
| Restricted calories to lose weight (%)b,d | 110 | 20.4 | 28.6 | 62.5 | 0.0002 |
| Exercised to lose weight (%)b,d | 109 | 30.6 | 35.0 | 75.0 | < 0.0001 |
| Perception of own body weight (%)b | 110 | ||||
| Underweight | 22.4 | 9.5 | 15.0 | ||
| About right | 61.2 | 61.9 | 20.0 | < 0.0001 | |
| Overweight | 16.3 | 28.6 | 65.0 | ||
| Perceived state of health (%)b | 109 | ||||
| Very healthy | 16.3 | 28.6 | 20.5 | ||
| Quite healthy | 71.4 | 57.1 | 66.7 | 0.81 | |
| Not very healthy | 12.2 | 14.3 | 12.8 | ||
| # of close friends (%)b | 109 | ||||
| Two or less | 26.5 | 23.8 | 28.2 | 0.93 | |
| Three or more | 73.5 | 76.2 | 71.8 | ||
| Ease at making new friends (%)b | 109 | ||||
| Very easy | 20.4 | 19.1 | 15.4 | ||
| Easy | 63.3 | 57.1 | 64.1 | 0.92 | |
| Difficult/very difficult | 16.3 | 23.8 | 20.5 | ||
a
ANOVA was used to test for significant differences between nonoverweight, at-risk for overweight, and overweight children for ordered variables.
b
Chi-square test was used to test for significant differences between nonoverweight, at-risk for overweight, and overweight children for categorical variables.
c
Means with the same letter are significantly different from each other within a category.
d
Within the last 30 days.