Moderating Effects of Student Engagement on the Relationship Between Weight Bias Internalization and Depressive Symptoms Among Adolescent Girls With Higher Weight

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the moderating effect of student engagement between weight bias internalization and depressive symptoms in Korean adolescent girls with higher weight. Ninety-nine girls with higher weight (≥85th body mass index percentile) in early adolescence (aged 12–14 years) participated in this cross-sectional study. Weight bias internalization, student engagement, and the interaction between these variables were significantly associated with depressive symptoms. Furthermore, a simple slope analysis indicates that higher student engagement was associated with more significant relief in depressive symptoms. Thus, promoting higher student engagement with family and school support may help reduce depressive symptoms related to weight bias internalization in adolescent girls with higher weight. Therefore, family- and school-based programs are required to enhance student engagement in adolescent girls with higher weight.

Keywords

adolescents internalized weight bias student engagement depression

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