Weight Status and BMI-Related Traits in Adolescent Friendship Groups and Role of Sociodemographic Factors: The European IDEFICS/I.Family Cohort.
Adolescent health
Friendship networks
Obesity
Sociodemographic factors
Journal
Obesity facts
ISSN: 1662-4033
Titre abrégé: Obes Facts
Pays: Switzerland
ID NLM: 101469429
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
2021
2021
Historique:
received:
17
12
2019
accepted:
24
09
2020
pubmed:
23
12
2020
medline:
8
7
2021
entrez:
22
12
2020
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
During adolescence, health behaviors and weight status are increasingly influenced by friendship and peer networks. This paper examines resemblances in weight-related characteristics and how they differ by sociodemographic factors. Over 3,000 friendships were reported by 1,603 adolescents, aged 11-16 years, who participated in the school-based I.Family study in 6 European countries. Each "source child" named 1-10 friends for whom standardized weight-related traits were available in the same survey. The mean value of the friends' traits weighted by time spent together was calculated, and related to the source child's trait. Country, age and sex of the source child, parental education, and immigrant background were considered for confounding and moderation. Source children's z-scores of body fat percent and BMI were positively associated with their friends' characteristics, in particular if they had highly educated parents. Positive associations were also found regarding the frequency of fast-food consumption, impulsivity, screen time, preference for sugar-sweetened foods, and hours spent in sports clubs, in increasing order of effect size. Additionally, correlations were observed between friends' cognitive and school functioning and being bullied. No associations were seen for a preference for high-fat foods, weight concerns, and health-related quality of life. Finally, parental education and immigrant background were associated between friends in all countries except Sweden, where no associations were observed. Adolescent friends shared a number of weight-related characteristics. For weight measures per se, positive associations with friends' characteristics were only observed in adolescents with high parental education. Associations regarding energy-balance behaviors and indicators of school-related well-being did not differ by parental education. Parental education and immigrant background correlated positively in friends in most countries showing that social aggregation is already occurring in adolescence. The wide spectrum of friendship associations in weight-related traits and behaviors suggests that health promotion initiatives in adolescents should be directed towards peer groups in both school-related and leisure-time environments. ISRCTN Registry: Pan-European IDEFICS/I.Family children cohort (ID ISRCTN62310987; https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN62310987).
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
During adolescence, health behaviors and weight status are increasingly influenced by friendship and peer networks. This paper examines resemblances in weight-related characteristics and how they differ by sociodemographic factors.
METHODS
Over 3,000 friendships were reported by 1,603 adolescents, aged 11-16 years, who participated in the school-based I.Family study in 6 European countries. Each "source child" named 1-10 friends for whom standardized weight-related traits were available in the same survey. The mean value of the friends' traits weighted by time spent together was calculated, and related to the source child's trait. Country, age and sex of the source child, parental education, and immigrant background were considered for confounding and moderation.
RESULTS
Source children's z-scores of body fat percent and BMI were positively associated with their friends' characteristics, in particular if they had highly educated parents. Positive associations were also found regarding the frequency of fast-food consumption, impulsivity, screen time, preference for sugar-sweetened foods, and hours spent in sports clubs, in increasing order of effect size. Additionally, correlations were observed between friends' cognitive and school functioning and being bullied. No associations were seen for a preference for high-fat foods, weight concerns, and health-related quality of life. Finally, parental education and immigrant background were associated between friends in all countries except Sweden, where no associations were observed.
CONCLUSION
Adolescent friends shared a number of weight-related characteristics. For weight measures per se, positive associations with friends' characteristics were only observed in adolescents with high parental education. Associations regarding energy-balance behaviors and indicators of school-related well-being did not differ by parental education. Parental education and immigrant background correlated positively in friends in most countries showing that social aggregation is already occurring in adolescence. The wide spectrum of friendship associations in weight-related traits and behaviors suggests that health promotion initiatives in adolescents should be directed towards peer groups in both school-related and leisure-time environments. ISRCTN Registry: Pan-European IDEFICS/I.Family children cohort (ID ISRCTN62310987; https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN62310987).
Identifiants
pubmed: 33352571
pii: 000512356
doi: 10.1159/000512356
pmc: PMC7983617
doi:
Banques de données
ISRCTN
['ISRCTN62310987']
Types de publication
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
121-130Informations de copyright
© 2020 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.
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