Body Weight and Bullying Victimization among US Adolescents

Area of Science:

• Adolescent Health
• Psychology
• Sociology

Background:

• Bullying is a significant issue among adolescents.
• Body weight status is associated with various psychosocial outcomes.
• Understanding the relationship between body weight and bullying is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between body weight status (underweight, normal, overweight, obesity) and bullying victimization in US adolescents.
• To examine potential sex differences in this association.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the 2013 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), a nationally representative sample of 11,825 adolescents.
• Employed logistic regression analysis, controlling for demographics, behavioral confounders, and complex survey design.
• Analyzed associations separately for males and females.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant U-shaped association was found between body weight and bullying victimization in adolescent boys (p = .001).
• No significant association was observed for girls (p = .838); prevalence of bullying slightly increased with weight status but was not statistically significant.
• For boys, bullying was also associated with younger age, being white, hopelessness, suicidal ideation, and excessive video-game playing.

Conclusions:

• A U-shaped association between body weight and bullying victimization appears specific to adolescent boys, potentially influenced by body weight stigma and sex stereotypes.
• Further research is needed to explore sex-specific risk factors for bullying to inform effective anti-bullying programs for youth.