Self-perceived weight and self-rated health have distinct relationships according to body mass index in Korean teenagers

It was hypothesized that adolescents who perceived themselves as underweight or over-weight would be positively associated with poor self-rated health (SRH), regardless of their actual weight status, and that the SRH would be varied depending on the combination of their actual weight and their perceived weight. The study aimed to evaluate associations of self-perceived weight and body mass index (BMI)-based weight status with SRH in Ko-rean adolescents. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 1658 female and 1888 male adolescents aged 10 to 18 years based on the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examina-tion Survey using complex-samples logistic regression. Weight estimation was determined by comparing BMI-based weight and self-perceived body shape. Age, family affluence, and health status were confounders. In sex-specific analysis, the odds for poor SRH were higher in males who accurately estimated underweight or overweight and those who were normal weight, but overestimated weight compared with those who accurately self-perceived as being normal weight. In females, the odds for poor SRH were higher in those with normal weight but underestimated or overestimated weight compared with a female comparison group. In the overall analysis, males who accurately perceived their weight as underweight, males and females who perceived their weight as overweight despite being normal weight or overweight, and females who perceived weight as underweight despite being normal weight had higher odds for poor SRH compared with a female comparison group. In conclusion, as the hypothesis of this study, self-perceived overweight and underweight in adolescents were associated with poor SRH regardless of BMI, and the association differed by BMI in Korean adolescents.(c) 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study found that adolescents who perceived themselves as underweight or overweight, regardless of their actual weight, had poorer self-rated health. Additionally, the combination of perceived weight and actual weight also influenced health status.