ERIC Number: EJ1329033
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Mar
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0044-118X
EISSN: N/A
Profiles of Substance Use in Adolescents with Severe Obesity
Becnel, Jennifer N.; Giano, Zachary; Williams, Amanda L.; Merten, Michael J.
Youth & Society, v54 n2 p201-220 Mar 2022
A growing body of literature suggests that youth with severe obesity are engaging in substance use. The purpose of the present study was to examine profiles of substance use among adolescents with severe obesity and examine how these profiles are associated with depressive symptomology using data from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. The sample included 597 girls and 626 boys who self-reported height and weight and alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and illicit substance use. Latent profile analysis revealed four distinct groups ranging from non-users to polysubstance users with non-users reporting the highest depressive symptoms. These results suggest those with severe obesity might be using substances to self-medicate to treat poor mental health; however, longitudinal research is necessary to examine pathways to substance use among severely obese youth.
Descriptors: Adolescents, Obesity, Substance Abuse, Depression (Psychology), Body Weight, Body Height, Smoking, Drinking, Marijuana, Drug Abuse, Gender Differences, High School Students
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2814
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Youth Risk Behavior Survey
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A