Association between Obesity in Adolescence and Family Function.
- Author:
Jin Kyoung KIM
1
;
Yun Mi SONG
;
Sun Young KIM
;
Ji In CHUNG
Author Information
1. Department of Family Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Korea. yunmisong@skku.edu
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
adolescent;
body mass index;
family relations;
Korea;
obesity;
overweight
- MeSH:
Adolescent;
Body Mass Index;
Family Relations;
Humans;
Korea;
Logistic Models;
Mothers;
Obesity;
Odds Ratio;
Overweight;
Parents;
Prevalence;
Surveys and Questionnaires
- From:Journal of the Korean Academy of Family Medicine
2008;29(4):259-268
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: The association between obesity development and poor family function was controversial in previous studies and has been seldom evaluated in Korean adolescents. METHODS: A questionnaire asking family function (family APGAR, Korean family function assessment tool for adolescents), socioeconomic environment, and behavioral characteristics was self-administered to 1,056 adolescents enrolled in a Korean middle school. A total of 774 adolescents who answered the questionnaire thoroughly and had no diseases influencing family function were included. After calculating body mass index (BMI) using the data of physical measurement at school, we classified participants into overweight-obesity (upper 15%) and normal weight group (lower 85%) based on the reference data of Korean childrens' BMI distribution (Korean pediatric society, 1998). RESULTS: The prevalence of overweight-obesity was 13.0% (14.8% among boys and 10.9% among girls). Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analysis showed overweight-obesity was associated with better family function, higher school grade, fattier body shape of mother, and lower educational level of mother. Gender- specifically, overweight-obesity was associated with better family functioning and higher school grade with odds ratios (95% confidence interval) of 2.36 (1.13, 5.55) and 2.59 (1.36, 4.93), respectively, in boys, whereas only those who were not living with both parents were 2.67 (1.09~6.54) times more likely to be overweight or obese among girls. CONCLUSION: The factors associated with overweight- obesity differed by gender and the family function of overweight-obesity group was better than normal weight group, especially in boys. These findings suggest poor family function is neither the cause nor the result of obesity development in adolescents.
