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Factors Influencing Children's Attitudes Toward a Peer Who is Overweight

Olsen, Brian T
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1367925768

Abstract Details

2013, PhD, University of Cincinnati, Arts and Sciences: Psychology.
Obesity among children in the United States is a growing epidemic that has received national attention (Puhl & Heuer, 2010). Research suggests that children who are overweight are at increased risk for various health conditions such as diabetes, sleep apnea, cancer, and hypertension (Jelalian & Mehlenbeck, 2003). In addition to risks to physical health, overweight children are also more likely to become the targets of stigmatization by their peers, resulting in increased risks of depression, poor academic performance, psychosocial difficulties, suicidal ideation, and exacerbation of their weight status (Adams & Bukowski, 2008; Janssen, Craig, Boyce, & Pickett, 2004). Having friends may be one of the few factors that provide protection from the aforementioned struggles. Overweight children who have friends experience less stigmatization and fewer negative outcomes (Reiter-Purtill, Ridel, Jordan, & Zeller, 2010), suggesting a critical need to improve peer relationships among children who are overweight. Continued research aimed at uncovering the unique relations among child characteristics and attitudes toward overweight children is needed and may yield information for those designing interventions to counteract negative attitudes. The current study provided a needed contribution by using structural equation modeling to examine the relations among background factors, perceptions of responsibility, and children's attitudes toward an overweight peer. Consistent with previous research, overweight children were perceived more negatively than their normal weight peers (e.g., Adams & Bukowski, 2008; & Kraig & Keel, 2001). Results also indicated that participant age, gender, race, and perceived responsibility impacted children's attitudes toward an overweight child. However, results did not show that having previous experience as a victim or children’s BMI influenced their perceptions of children who are overweight. The current model only accounted for 17% of variance in children's attitudes. Hypotheses were also not consistently supported, suggesting that more research on the complex interrelationships among variables impacting attitudes about weight is needed. For instance, based on the Theory of Reasoned Action (Fishbein & Ajzen, 2010), children's judgments of how their peers perceive the overweight child might impact their attitudes toward that child. Previous experiences with people who are overweight or having an overweight member in the family might also affect children's attitudes. Despite study limitations, findings support the importance of understanding and addressing negative peer perceptions of overweight children in order to reduce the negative psychosocial impact on overweight children.
Farrah Jacquez, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Ann Kathleen Hoard Burlew, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Christine Hovanitz, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Laura Nabors, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Phillip Neal Ritchey, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
66 p.
Psychology
Obesity; Acceptance; Peers; Stigma; Attribution; Attitudes;

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Olsen, B. T. (2013). Factors Influencing Children's Attitudes Toward a Peer Who is Overweight [Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1367925768

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Olsen, Brian. Factors Influencing Children's Attitudes Toward a Peer Who is Overweight. 2013. University of Cincinnati, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1367925768.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Olsen, Brian. "Factors Influencing Children's Attitudes Toward a Peer Who is Overweight." Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1367925768

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin1367925768
586
© 2013, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.