Weight Status and BMI-Related Traits in Adolescent Friendship Groups and Role of Sociodemographic Factors: The European IDEFICS/I.Family Cohort

Conclusion: Adolescent friends shared a number of weight-related characteristics. For weight measures per se, positive associations with friends ’ characteristics were only observed in adolescents with high parental education. Associations regarding energy-balance behaviors and indicators of school-related well-being did not differ by parental education. Parental education and immigrant background correlated positively in friends in most c ountries showing that social aggregation is already occurring in adolescence. The wide spectrum of friendship associations in weight-related traits and behaviors suggests that health promotion initiatives in adolescents should be directed towards peer groups in both school-related and leisure-time e nvironments.ISRCTN Registry: Pan-European IDEFICS/I.Family children cohort (ID ISRCTN62310987; https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN62310987).Obes Facts
Source: Obesity Facts - Category: Eating Disorders & Weight Management Source Type: research