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Are adolescent weight-related problems and general well-being essentially an issue of age, gender or rather a pubertal timing issue?
-
Helena Fonseca
and
Margarida G. Matos
Published/Copyright:
May 31, 2011
Abstract
Objective: To compare the characteristics of a set of weight-related and well-being variables among adolescents according to gender and age. It was hypothesised that time of puberty, not age in itself, might be the turning point for gender dissimilarities.
Methods: Data were drawn from the Portuguese 2006 HBSC/WHO database and were disaggregated by gender and age group. Groups were compared for dieting, body image, health perception and happiness variables on the bivariate level using cross-tabulations. Separate analysis of the dependent variables was further conducted for 11-year-olds comparing males with pre- and post-menarche females.
Results: Dieting and a negative body image were consistently more prevalent among girls and increased with age. At 11 years significantly more post-menarche girls were dieting and dissatisfied with their body image than boys and their pre-menarche counterparts. A poor self-rated health and the perception of unhappiness tended to be more common among older adolescents and among girls.
Conclusions: Pubertal timing, and not age in itself, appears as the turning point for gender dissimilarities. Both gender- and age-specific differences as well as pubertal timing have to be taken into account by any physician when assessing an adolescent in order to be able to adapt the intervention.
Keywords: adolescence; age; gender differences; pubertal timing; weight-related problems; well-being
Published Online: 2011-05-31
Published in Print: 2011-06-01
©2011 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin Boston
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Keywords for this article
adolescence;
age;
gender differences;
pubertal timing;
weight-related problems;
well-being
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- Publisher's Note
- Editorial
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- Comparison of methimazole and propylthiouracil in the management of children and adolescents with Graves’ disease: efficacy and adverse reactions during initial treatment and long-term outcome
- The effect of glucocorticoid replacement therapy on bone mineral density in children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia
- Treatment of symptomatic osteoporosis in children: a comparison of two pamidronate dosage regimens
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