Introduction
We investigated the frequency and variation in three mental health diagnoses among
obese or overweight children and adolescents.
Method
Logistic regression was used to examine the association between the outcome variables—anxiety,
depression, and adjustment disorders—with the following covariates: overweight/obesity
status, sex, age, and race.
Results
Findings show anxiety, depressive, and adjustment disorder diagnoses were significantly
higher for overweight or obese youth in our sample. In addition, diagnosis rates for
one or more of these disorders increase as children grow into adolescence. Furthermore,
we found significantly higher rates of depression and significantly lower rates of
anxiety among youth who live in places with higher rates of poverty.
Discussion
Findings indicate a target age for providers to focus on mental health screening among
overweight/obese patients: (1) early adolescence (aged 11–14 years) for depressive
and adjustment disorders and (2) early childhood (aged 2–4 years) for anxiety disorder.
KEY WORDS
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Biography
Rachel Carroll, Researcher, Human Services Division, American Institutes for Research, Arlington, VA.
Biography
April A. Bice, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC.
Biography
Anka Roberto, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC.
Biography
Christopher R. Prentice, Associate Professor, Department of Public and International Affairs, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: June 25, 2022
Footnotes
Conflicts of interest: None to report.
Identification
Copyright
Copyright © 2022 by the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
