Are adolescent weight-related problems and general well-being essentially an issue of age, gender or rather a pubertal timing issue?

OBJECTIVE

To compare the characteristics of a set of weight-related and well-being variables among adolescents according to gender and age. It was hypothesised that time of puberty, not age in itself, might be the turning point for gender dissimilarities.

METHODS

Data were drawn from the Portuguese 2006 HBSC/WHO database and were disaggregated by gender and age group. Groups were compared for dieting, body image, health perception and happiness variables on the bivariate level using cross-tabulations. Separate analysis of the dependent variables was further conducted for 11-year-olds comparing males with pre- and post-menarche females.

RESULTS

Dieting and a negative body image were consistently more prevalent among girls and increased with age. At 11 years significantly more post-menarche girls were dieting and dissatisfied with their body image than boys and their pre-menarche counterparts. A poor self-rated health and the perception of unhappiness tended to be more common among older adolescents and among girls.

CONCLUSIONS

Pubertal timing, and not age in itself, appears as the turning point for gender dissimilarities. Both gender- and age-specific differences as well as pubertal timing have to be taken into account by any physician when assessing an adolescent in order to be able to adapt the intervention.