TY - JOUR
T1 - The image in the mirror and the number on the scale
T2 - Weight, weight perceptions, and adolescent depressive symptoms
AU - Frisco, Michelle L.
AU - Houle, Jason N.
AU - Martin, Molly A.
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - Double jeopardy and health congruency theories suggest that adolescents' joint experience of their weight and weight perceptions are associated with depressive symptoms, but each theory offers a different prediction about which adolescents are at greatest risk. This study investigates the proposed associations and the applicability of both theoretical perspectives using data from 6,557 male and 6,126 female National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) Wave II participants. Empirically, results indicate that focusing on the intersection of weight and weight perceptions better shows which adolescents are at risk of depressive symptoms than an approach that treats both predictors as independent, unrelated constructs. Weight pessimists are at greatest risk of depressive symptoms. Thus, results support the health congruency framework, its extension to subpopulations outside of older adults, and its extension to optimism and pessimism about specific health conditions.
AB - Double jeopardy and health congruency theories suggest that adolescents' joint experience of their weight and weight perceptions are associated with depressive symptoms, but each theory offers a different prediction about which adolescents are at greatest risk. This study investigates the proposed associations and the applicability of both theoretical perspectives using data from 6,557 male and 6,126 female National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) Wave II participants. Empirically, results indicate that focusing on the intersection of weight and weight perceptions better shows which adolescents are at risk of depressive symptoms than an approach that treats both predictors as independent, unrelated constructs. Weight pessimists are at greatest risk of depressive symptoms. Thus, results support the health congruency framework, its extension to subpopulations outside of older adults, and its extension to optimism and pessimism about specific health conditions.
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U2 - 10.1177/0022146510372353
DO - 10.1177/0022146510372353
M3 - Article
C2 - 20617760
AN - SCOPUS:77954049355
VL - 51
SP - 215
EP - 228
JO - Journal of Health and Social Behavior
JF - Journal of Health and Social Behavior
SN - 0022-1465
IS - 2
ER -