Abstract

HIDALGO-RASMUSSEN, Carlos Alejandro  and  HIDALGO-SAN MARTIN, Alfredo. Body weight perception, weight control behavior and quality of life in Mexican adolescents of secondary school. Rev. Mex. de trastor. aliment [online]. 2011, vol.2, n.2, pp.71-81. ISSN 2007-1523.

This cross-sectional study analyzed by gender the association between body weight perception and weight control behavior with quality of life (QL) in 563 middle school students (age x‾ = 13.3, SD = 0.94), from all grades of nine middle schools of South region of Jalisco state realized in 2010. There were 51.9% boys and 19.8% worked. A self-administered questionnaire on line was used (YQOL-R), perceptual module, and five items of body weight adapted from 2009 Middle School YRBS. Statistical analysis included chi squared, Student t test, Spearman correlation, ANOVA and Tamhane's T2. Results: QOL was higher in normal weight perception category than low weight or overweight perception categories; a negative correlation between QOL and weight perception was observed (overweight r_s = -.22; low weight r_s = -.16); QOL was lower in those who tried to maintain weight in total sample and in girls in relation to those who tried to maintained it. We concluded that weight control behavior is associated with weight perception and both are associated with quality of life. Gender was important to understand the variables studied.

Keywords : weight perception; obesity; weight control behaviors; quality of life; adolescent.