Perceived weight, actual weight, and depressive symptoms in a general adolescent sample

Abstract

To examine the relationship between perceived weight, actual weight, and depressive symptoms in a general adolescent sample, 344 junior and senior high school students were administered the Beck Depression Inventory and the Health Behaviors Questionnaire. Chi-square analyses revealed that perceptions of weight varied by sex but not by age. An analysis of variance using depression scores as the dependent variable revealed a main effect for age, with 11-13 year olds less depressed than 14-16 or 17-18 year olds; a main effect for weight perception, with those who perceived themselves to be of normal weight less depressed than those who thought they were underweight or overweight; and a significant interaction of actual weight and sex, with females tending to be less depressed if actually underweight and males tending to be less depressed if actually overweight.