1. Depressive symptoms & perceived weight among middle-school students
Lauren Whetstone
Susan Morrissey
Joe Garry
Skip Cummings
Department of Family Medicine

2. Introduction 8% of adolescents suffer from depression
Relationship between body weight and depressive symptoms inconclusive
Some studies show relationship between perceived body weight and depressive symptoms
Racial differences unknown
We found that weight perception was a significant predictor of suicidal thoughts and actions (2000) and depressive symptoms (2001)

3. Purpose
Explore the relationship between perceived body weight and depressive symptoms
Focus on potential race and gender differences

4. Design & Participants Cross sectional survey - 2001 Participants
CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey
Middle School Version
Participants
2,126 middle school students
22.5% African American males (n=478)
31.5% White males (n=668)
18.7% African American females (n=398)
27.3% White females (n=579)
4 eastern North Carolina counties

5. Outcome Measures Dependent variable Independent variables
Depressive Symptoms Index (DSI)
Independent variables
Body Mass Index (BMI)
Calculated from self-reported height and weight
Categorized into normal weight or overweight (greater than the 85th percentile for age and gender)
Perceived body weight
Categorized into under/normal weight or overweight
Race
African American or White
Gender

6. Weight Status by BMI Male * African American 60.7 39.3 White 66.9 33.1%
Normal weight
Overweight
Male *
African American
60.7
39.3
White
66.9
33.1
Female ***
65.1
34.9
83.9
16.1
* p < .05, *** p < .001

7. Perceived Weight Status%
Under/normal weight
Overweight
Male **
African American
82.6 (60.7)
17.4 (39.3)
White
75.4 (66.9)
24.6 (33.1)
Female
77.2 (65.1)
22.8 (34.9)
75.7 (83.9)
24.3 (16.1)
** p < .01

8. Normal weight BMI Male African American (n=283) 6.0 White (n=439) 10.3
% perceive as
overweight
Male
African American (n=283)
6.0
White (n=439)
10.3
Female *
African American (n=256)
9.8
White (n=482)
16.0
* p < .05

9. Overweight BMI Male *** African American (n=182) 35.2 White (n=215)
% perceive as
overweight
Male ***
African American (n=182)
35.2
White (n=215)
54.0
Female **
African American (n=138)
47.1
White (n=93)
67.7
** p < .01, *** p < .001

10. Depressive symptoms index
Quality of life
Feel good about self
Feeling sad or hopeless every day for 2 weeks or more in a row
Seriously thought about killing yourself
Ever made a plan to kill yourself
Ever tried to kill yourself
Range 0 – 24
Internal consistency (=.72)

11. Depressive symptoms Variable Mean DSI Score BMI Normal 3.91
Overweight
Perceived body weight *
Under/normal
Overweight
Race
African American
White
Gender *
Male
Female
* p < .05

12. Mean DSI Score by Weight Perception, Race, and Gender

13. Conclusions
Significant relationship between body weight perception and depressive symptoms
This relationship does not vary by
Race
Sex
Self-reported height and weight (BMI)

14. Future Directions Measurement of height and weight
Confirm findings with additional measures of childhood depression
Expanded measurement of weight perception/body image
Explore the development of weight perception