Middle childhood weight stigmatization and appetite self-regulation as predictors of adolescent weight – A prospective mediation analysis
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11358153 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Nele Westermann (0000-0002-4791-2336, University of Potsdam), Annette M Klein (0000-0001-8246-4666, International Psychoanalytic University Berlin), Petra Warschburger (0000-0001-7979-7451, University of Potsdam, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 208 |
| Pages | 107914 |
| Publication date | 2025-04-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Appetite (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0195-6663 • E-ISSN: 1095-8304 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.appet.2025.107914 |
| PMID | 39956202 |
| OpenAlex | W4407565590 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 49 |
Children's weight is a common reason for stigmatization. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of weight stigmatization (WS) during middle childhood on adolescent weight and the role of appetite self-regulation (ASR) as a potential mediator. Across three measurement time points, the study utilized a community sample of N = 1612 participants (51.9% female), aged 7-11 (T1), 9-13 (T2), and 16-21 (T3). WS was assessed via child-reports, different ASR facets (food responsiveness, emotional overeating, satiety responsiveness, external eating) via parent-reports, and height and weight were measured to calculate the standardized body mass index (BMI-SDS). Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the proposed prospective mediation. A total of 11.2% of the children reported WS experiences, with significant differences between the weight groups. ASR fully mediated the prospective association between WS and BMI-SDS. Higher WS predicted higher food responsiveness, higher emotional overeating, and, among older children, lower satiety responsiveness. Additionally, higher food responsiveness predicted higher adolescent BMI-SDS, indicating a specific indirect effect. The total indirect and specific indirect effects for food responsiveness remained significant when controlling for the established influences of parental BMI and body dissatisfaction. Our results highlight a prospective effect of WS on ASR and propose ASR as a mediator for the association between WS and weight. WS and ASR might therefore be important factors for the prevention of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents
Appetite · Body weight · Developmental psychology · Mediation · Sociology · Clinical Psychology · Eating Disorders and Behaviors · Medicine · Obesity and Health Practices · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet · Psychology · Internal Medicine
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |