Corrélats sociodémographiques, psychosociaux et scolaires d’un poids hors normes chez des étudiants du niveau postsecondaire en transition vers l’âge adulte.

This study examines: (a) how students aged 18–29 years with underweight, overweight, or obesity differ from their normal-weight peers on sociodemographic, psychosocial, and academic variables; (b) whether the differences found between normative and non-normative weight categories varies according to gender. Postsecondary students (N = 5 439) filled online questionnaires assessing their sociodemographic and academic characteristics. Mental health indicators (depressive and anxiety symptoms, self-esteem) and social adaptation (perceived family and friend support) were also assessed. Multinomial logistic regression analysis were used to estimate the relative importance of the sociodemographic, psychosocial, and academic variables in predicting the likelihood of belonging to one of the three weight categories while taking into account the moderating effect of gender. Results indicate that none of the sociodemographic, academic, and psychosocial variables were associated with an increased risk of belonging to the underweight category (as opposed to the normal-weight category). However, academic and psychosocial difficulties were associated with a higher likelihood of belonging to the overweight or obese categories (as opposed to the normal-weight category), especially for women. These results highlight the importance of considering weight categories as well as gender when assessing the psychosocial and academic adaptation of postsecondary students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) ...
Source: Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research