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Updated: Jul 5, 2025

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between self-esteem and BMI depends on baseline BMI category in a
Margaux Robert1, Benjamin Allès1, Ulrike A Gisch1,2,3
1Université Sorbonne Paris Nord and Université Paris Cité, INSERM, INRAE, CNAM, Center of Research in Epidemiology and StatisticS (CRESS), Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN), F-93017, Bobigny, France.
Background:
Some studies have reported associations between self-esteem and weight status, but longitudinal data on adults remain scarce. The aim of this population-based study was to analyze the cross-sectional and longitudinal association between self-esteem and body mass index (BMI) and to investigate whether baseline BMI has an impact on this association.
Methods:
In 2016, 29,735 participants aged ≥ 18 years in the NutriNet-Santé cohort completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. BMI was self-reported yearly over a 4-year period. Association between self-esteem and BMI was assessed using mixed models and logistic regressions. Analyses were stratified by BMI (categorical) at baseline and adjusted on sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics.
Results:
At baseline, higher self-esteem was associated with higher BMI in normal weight individuals(p = 0.32), and with lower BMI in obese class II and III individuals (p = 0.13). In addition, higher baseline self-esteem was associated with BMI increase over time in normal weight individuals (p = 0.15). Among normal weight individuals, those with higher self-esteem were less likely to show a decrease in their BMI (p = 0.005), while no association was observed with BMI increase (p = 0.81).
Discussion:
Our findings suggest that the association between self-esteem and BMI depends on the initial category of BMI, with a negligible effect of self-esteem.
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