TY - JOUR
T1 - Role of Sex on the Relationship Between Sexual Minority Status and Misperceptions of Body Weight Among High School Students
AU - Mantey, Dale S.
AU - Yockey, Andrew
AU - Barroso, Cristina S.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was funded by University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health Cancer Education and Career Development Program ; and National Cancer Institute / NIH Grant T32/CA057712 .
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine
PY - 2021/2
Y1 - 2021/2
N2 - Purpose: Misperception of body weight during adolescence is a risk factor for negative self-image, harmful eating/dietary habits (e.g., binge eating and purging), and body dysmorphia. Sexual minority youth, particularly males, may be at increased risk for misperceptions of body weight, relative to youth who do not identify as a sexual minority. This study examines the risk for misperception of body weight among sexual minority youth and explores biological sex as an effect modifier in this relationship. Methods: We pooled data from the 2015 and 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Surveys. Participants were 18,634 high school students who were not overweight/obese. Multivariable logistic regression examined the association between sexual minority status (i.e., gay, lesbian, bisexual, and unsure) and misperceptions of body weight (i.e., self-perceived as overweight/severely overweight). Weighted multivariable logistic regression analyses, stratified by biological sex, were used to compare this relationship across males and females. Covariates included race/ethnicity, grade, bullying victimization, television/electronic screen time, and tobacco use. Results: Overall, 16.6% of the sample self-reported misperceptions of body weight. Sexual minority youth had 1.49 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.28–1.73) greater odds of misperception of body weight, adjusting for covariates; this relationship was found across biological sex, but that the main effect was significantly greater among sexual minority males (adjusted odds ratio: 2.24, 95% CI: 1.65–3.03) relative to sexual minority females (adjusted odds ratio: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.11–1.59). Conclusions: Sexual minority youth had greater odds of overestimating their weight status. Biological sex appears to modify this relationship with sexual minority males being at particularly high risk for overestimating their weight status.
AB - Purpose: Misperception of body weight during adolescence is a risk factor for negative self-image, harmful eating/dietary habits (e.g., binge eating and purging), and body dysmorphia. Sexual minority youth, particularly males, may be at increased risk for misperceptions of body weight, relative to youth who do not identify as a sexual minority. This study examines the risk for misperception of body weight among sexual minority youth and explores biological sex as an effect modifier in this relationship. Methods: We pooled data from the 2015 and 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Surveys. Participants were 18,634 high school students who were not overweight/obese. Multivariable logistic regression examined the association between sexual minority status (i.e., gay, lesbian, bisexual, and unsure) and misperceptions of body weight (i.e., self-perceived as overweight/severely overweight). Weighted multivariable logistic regression analyses, stratified by biological sex, were used to compare this relationship across males and females. Covariates included race/ethnicity, grade, bullying victimization, television/electronic screen time, and tobacco use. Results: Overall, 16.6% of the sample self-reported misperceptions of body weight. Sexual minority youth had 1.49 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.28–1.73) greater odds of misperception of body weight, adjusting for covariates; this relationship was found across biological sex, but that the main effect was significantly greater among sexual minority males (adjusted odds ratio: 2.24, 95% CI: 1.65–3.03) relative to sexual minority females (adjusted odds ratio: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.11–1.59). Conclusions: Sexual minority youth had greater odds of overestimating their weight status. Biological sex appears to modify this relationship with sexual minority males being at particularly high risk for overestimating their weight status.
KW - Body image
KW - Body weight
KW - Body weight perceptions
KW - Psychosocial variables
KW - Sexual minority youth
KW - Weight status
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85087945359&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.05.051
DO - 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.05.051
M3 - Article
C2 - 32684436
AN - SCOPUS:85087945359
SN - 1054-139X
VL - 68
SP - 342
EP - 349
JO - Journal of Adolescent Health
JF - Journal of Adolescent Health
IS - 2
ER -