Perceptions and attitudes about body weight and adherence to the physical activity recommendation among adolescents: the moderating role of body mass index

• Published in: Public health (London) Vol. 146; pp. 75 - 83
• Main Authors: Sampasa-Kanyinga, H, Hamilton, H.A, Willmore, J, Chaput, J.-P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2017; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Adherence; Adhesion; Adolescent; Adolescents; Attitude; Attitudes; Body image; Body Image - psychology; Body mass; Body Mass Index; Body size; Body Weight; Child; Confidence intervals; Cross-Sectional Studies; Discontent; Drug abuse; Exercise; Female; Females; Guideline Adherence - statistics & numerical data; Guidelines as Topic; Health Surveys; Humans; Infectious Disease; Internal Medicine; Male; Males; Obesity; Obesity - psychology; Ontario; Overweight; Overweight - psychology; Perceptions; Personal Satisfaction; Physical activity; Physical fitness; Polls & surveys; Teenagers; Young Adult; Physical activity; Adolescents; Body image; Body weight
• ISSN: 0033-3506; 1476-5616
• DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2017.01.002

Abstract Objective We examined the associations between perceptions and attitudes about body weight and adherence to the physical activity recommendation (PAR) for adolescents to achieve ≥60 min/day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and tested whether body mass index (BMI) was a moderator of these relationships. Study design Cross-sectional survey. Methods Self-reported data from Canadian adolescents ( n  = 4299) who participated in the 2013 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey were analysed. Results Dissatisfaction with body weight was associated with lower odds of adherence to the PAR (odds ratio [OR]: 0.74; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.55–0.99). More specifically, those who perceived themselves as overweight/obese had lower odds of adherence to the PAR (OR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.42–0.81) compared with those who think they were about the right weight. Those who were trying to gain weight were more likely to adhere to the PAR (OR: 1.92; 95% CI: 1.29–2.86) compared to those who were doing nothing about their body weight. BMI was a significant moderator of the association between dissatisfaction with body weight and adherence to the PAR. At low BMI, there were no differences in the adherence to the PAR between adolescents who were dissatisfied with their body weight or not. At high BMI, adolescents who were dissatisfied with their body weight were less likely to adhere to the PAR than those who were not dissatisfied with their weight. Results were not different between males and females. Conclusions Results suggest that adolescents who are dissatisfied with their body weight have lower adherence to the PAR, particularly those who are overweight or obese.