Body dissatisfaction predicts the onset of depression among adolescent females and males: A prospective study

Bornioli, Anna; Lewis-Smith, Helena; Slater, Amy; Bray, Isabelle

Abstract

Rationale: Body dissatisfaction is prevalent in mid-adolescence and may be associated with the onset of depression. Objective: The study assessed the influence of body dissatisfaction on the occurrence of later depressive episodes in a population-based sample of British adolescents. Method: Participants were 2078 females and 1675 males from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort. Logistic regression was used to test if body dissatisfaction at 14 years old predicted the onset of depressive episodes at 18 years old, controlling for baseline depression. Results: Among females, body dissatisfaction predicted mild (OR=1.63, 95% CI=1.31, 2.04), moderate (OR=1.67, 95% CI=1.28, 2.18) and severe depressive episodes (OR=1.84, 95% CI=1.09, 3.12). Among males, body dissatisfaction predicted mild (OR=1.50, 95% CI=1.00, 2.25) and severe depressive episodes (OR=2.85, 95% CI=1.18, 6.87) at 18 years of age. Conclusions: This is the first prospective study to demonstrate that body dissatisfaction in adolescence predicts the occurrence of later depressive episodes in a cohort born in the early 1990s. The findings highlight that body dissatisfaction is a public health concern.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 19, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Dec 7, 2020
• Publication Date: Apr 1, 2021
• Deposit Date: Nov 2, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 6, 2020
• Journal: Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
• Print ISSN: 0143-005X
• Electronic ISSN: 1470-2738
• Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 75
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 343-348
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2019-213033
• Keywords: Body dissatisfaction; depression; ALSPAC; adolescence
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/6826303