Refine
Year of publication
Document Type
- Article (107)
- Postprint (15)
- Monograph/Edited Volume (6)
- Other (2)
- Preprint (2)
- Conference Proceeding (1)
- Review (1)
Is part of the Bibliography
- yes (134)
Keywords
- Children (11)
- Obesity (9)
- obesity (9)
- adolescents (8)
- Adolescents (7)
- Predictors (5)
- Quality of life (5)
- children (5)
- Body dissatisfaction (4)
- Child (4)
The Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) is the most current measure of body appreciation, a central facet of positive body image. This work aimed to examine the factor structure and psychometric properties of a German version. In Study 1 (N = 659; M-age = 27.19, SD = 8.57), exploratory factor analyses (EFA) revealed that the German BAS-2 has a one-dimensional factor structure in women and men, showing cross-gender factor similarity. In Study 2 (N = 472; M-age = 30.08, SD = 12.35), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) further supported the original scale's one-dimensional factor structure after freeing correlated errors. The German BAS-2 also showed partial scalar invariance across gender, with women and men not differing significantly in latent mean scores. As predicted, we found convergent relationships with measures of self-esteem, intuitive eating, and variables associated with negative body image (i.e., weight-and shape concerns, drive for thinness). Correlations with BMI were small and in an inverse direction. Incremental validity was demonstrated by predicting self-esteem and intuitive eating over and above measures of negative body image. Additionally, the German BAS-2 showed internal consistency and 2-week test-retest reliability. Overall, our results suggest that the German BAS-2 is a psychometrically sound instrument.
Objective:
Rejection sensitivity and justice sensitivity are personality traits that are characterized by frequent perceptions and intense adverse responses to negative social cues. Whereas there is good evidence for associations between rejection sensitivity, justice sensitivity, and internalizing problems, no longitudinal studies have investigated their association with eating disorder (ED) pathology so far. Thus, the present study examined longitudinal relations between rejection sensitivity, justice sensitivity, and ED pathology.
Method:
Participants (N = 769) reported on their rejection sensitivity, justice sensitivity, and ED pathology at 9-19 (T1), 11-21 (T2), and 14-22 years of age (T3).
Results:
Latent cross-lagged models showed longitudinal associations between ED pathology and anxious rejection sensitivity, observer and victim justice sensitivity. T1 and T2 ED pathology predicted higher T2 and T3 anxious rejection sensitivity, respectively. In turn, T2 anxious rejection sensitivity predicted more T3 ED pathology. T1 observer justice sensitivity predicted more T2 ED pathology, which predicted higher T3 observer justice sensitivity. Furthermore, T1 ED pathology predicted higher T2 victim justice sensitivity.
Discussion:
Rejection sensitivity-particularly anxious rejection sensitivity-and justice sensitivity may be involved in the maintenance or worsening of ED pathology and should be considered by future research and in prevention and treatment of ED pathology. Also, mental health problems may increase rejection sensitivity and justice sensitivity traits in the long term.
Purpose: Dealing with a child who suffers from functional abdominal pain (FAP) is a major challenge for the child's parents. However, little is known about the quality of life (QoL) of this group of parents. Therefore, this cross-sectional study aimed to provide a comprehensive analysis of parental QoL among parents seeking treatment for their child's abdominal pain.
Methods: 133 parents of 7-13-year-old children diagnosed with FAP reported on their health-related QoL (HRQoL), as assessed by the SF-12, and on caregiver-related QoL, as assessed by two CHQ-PF50 scales (emotional impact, time impact). T tests were used to compare the parents' scores on these measures with reference scores. Subgroups which were at risk of impairment were defined by cut-off scores. Determinants of parental QoL were identified by hierarchical regression analyses.
Results: While the parents showed significantly poorer mental health compared to population-based reference samples (d = 0.33-0.58), their physical health did not differ. However, parents were severely strained with respect to the time impact and emotional impact of their child's health (d = 0.33-1.58). While 12.7-27.9% of the parents were at risk of poor HRQoL, 60.6-70.1% were highly strained due to the demands of their role as caregivers. Physical and mental health were best explained by parents' psychiatric symptoms, while parents' perception of their child's impairment additionally determined the high time and emotional impact.
Conclusions: Physical HRQoL is not impaired in the majority of parents seeking treatment for their child's functional abdominal pain. However, the time demands and worries due to the child's pain deserve specific attention. Psychosocial interventions for a child's FAP should include information provided to the parents about coping with time constraints and emotional impact. Further prospective studies are warranted.
Background. Pain symptoms, associated impairment, and parental perception of threat are reported to be predictors of health care utilization (HCU) in childhood chronic abdominal pain (CAP). However, mediating variables and their interrelations have not yet been systematically studied. Objectives. This study aims to identify mediating pathways of influence between child’s abdominal pain and the number of pain-related medical visits. Methods. In a multicenter study, we recruited N = 151 parent-child dyads with children aged 6–17 years suffering from CAP. A composite measure of pain symptoms was defined as predictor and the number of pain-related medical visits as outcome variable. This relation was analyzed by serial mediation, including child- and parent-reported impairment and parental threat perception as mediators. Results. Only parental threat perception significantly linked child’s pain symptoms to the number of medical visits. Measures of impairment did not have a significant effect. Conclusions. Parental pain-related threat perception is strongly related to health care seeking in childhood CAP. Addressing threat perception might be a fruitful parent-centered approach in clinical practice.
Objective
While cross-sectional studies underline that child and parent factors in pediatric chronic pain are reciprocally related, so far, little is known on their prospective relationship, especially in treatment contexts. This study aims to analyze directions of influence between child and parental outcomes using data from an intervention study.
Methods
The sample covered 109 families with children aged 7-13 years diagnosed with functional abdominal pain (FAP). Child outcomes included pain and impairment, and parental outcomes covered caregiver-specific distress including both parental personal time burden (i.e., less time available for personal needs) and emotional burden due to child's pain (i.e., increased worries). Cross-lagged panel analyses examined the directions of the relations between child and parental outcomes across time (pretreatment T1, post-treatment T2, and 3-month follow-up and 12-month follow-up T3/T4).
Results
First, a significant improvement over time in all measures was observed. Cross-lagged effects were found for less parental personal time burden at T2, predicting both less pain (beta = -0.254, p = .004) and less impairment (beta = -0.150, p = .039) at T3. Higher baseline pain was predictive for higher parental emotional burden after treatment (beta = -0.130, p = .049) and, reversely, for less emotional burden at 12-month follow-up (beta = 0.261, p = .004).
Conclusions
Addressing parental personal time burden in FAP treatment might possibly support the improvement on the child level. Replication of results in larger samples is warranted to gain more insight into the directions of influence and, in that way, to optimize treatment for pediatric FAP.
Objective This prospective study explored bidirectional associations between attachment quality towards mother, father, and peers and disordered eating among a large population-based sample of boys and girls in the transition from preadolescence to adolescence. Specifically, we examined whether insecure attachment relationships emerged as a risk factor for or as an outcome of disordered eating. Method A population-based sample of 904 adolescent girls and boys was assessed four times, at baseline (T1; M-age = 10.8 years) and at 2-, 4-, and 6-year follow-up (T2, T3, and T4). Prospective data were analyzed using cross-lagged panel models for each attachment figure (i.e., mother, father, peers) in a multigroup design to compare genders. Results Better attachment to the mother led to less pronounced disturbed eating in girls across the entire age range and in boys across two time periods. In girls, more pronounced disordered eating at T3 predicted worse attachment to the mother at T4 and better attachment to the father at T1 predicted less disturbed eating at T2. In boys, disordered eating at T1 predicted better attachment to the father at T2. Concerning peer attachment, better attachment at T1 predicted disordered eating at T2, in boys only. No other significant cross-lagged effects emerged. Discussion These findings highlight the differential and gender-specific contribution of attachment figures to the development of disordered eating in adolescence. Programs aimed at improving communication and trust in the relationship with parents might be promising in the prevention of disordered eating and the subsequent deterioration of parent-child attachment relationships.
Background
Weight-related stigmatization is a widespread problem. Particularly the internalization of weight-related stereotypes and prejudices (weight bias internalization, WBI) is related to mental and physical health impairments. To date, little is known about the risk factors of WBI. Previous studies are mainly cross-sectional and based on adult samples. As childhood is a sensitive period for the development of a healthy self-concept, we examined predictors of WBI in children.
Methods
The final sample included 1,463 schoolchildren (6–11 years, 51.7% female) who took part in a prospective study consisting of three measurement waves. The first two waves delivered data on objective weight status and self-reported weight-related teasing, body dissatisfaction, relevance of one’s own figure, self-esteem and depressive symptoms; WBI was measured during the third wave. To examine predictors of WBI, we ran hierarchical regression analyses and exploratory mediation analyses.
Results
Lower parental education level, higher child weight status, female gender, experience of teasing, higher body dissatisfaction, higher figure-relevance, and higher depression scores were found to be predictive for higher WBI scores. Body dissatisfaction (only for girls) and the relevance of one’s own figure (both genders) mediated the association between self-esteem and WBI; no weight-related differences were observed.
Conclusions
Our study offers longitudinal evidence for variables that enable the identification of children who are at risk for WBI. Thus, the findings deliver starting points for interventions aimed at the prevention of adverse health developments that come along with WBI.
Simply too much
(2022)
Purpose Weight bias internalization (WBI) is associated with negative health consequences such as eating disorders and psychosocial problems in children. To date, it is unknown to what extent WBI considerably raises the risk of negative outcomes. Methods Analyses are based on cross-sectional data of 1,061 children (9-13 years, M = 11, SD = 0.9; 52.1% female) who filled in the WBI scale (WBIS-C). First, ROC analyses were run to identify critical cut-off values of WBI (WBIS-C score) that identify those who are at higher risk for psychosocial problems or eating disorder symptoms (as reported by parents). Second, it was examined whether WBI is more sensitive than the relative weight status in that respect. Third, to confirm that the cut-off value is also accompanied by higher psychological strain, high- and low-risk groups were compared in terms of their self-reported depressive symptoms, anxious symptoms, body dissatisfaction, and self-esteem. Results WBIS-C scores >= 1.55 were associated with a higher risk of disturbed eating behavior; for psychosocial problems, no cut-off score reached adequate sensitivity and specificity. Compared to relative weight status, WBI was better suited to detect disturbed eating behavior. Children with a WBIS-C score >= 1.55 also reported higher scores for both depressive and anxious symptoms, higher body dissatisfaction, and lower self-esteem. Conclusion The WBIS-C is suitable for identifying risk groups, and even low levels of WBI are accompanied by adverse mental health. Therefore, WBI is, beyond weight status, an important risk factor that should be considered in prevention and intervention.