Self-esteem in adolescents with obesity: a scoping review.

OBJECTIVE

to map the scientific evidence regarding the assessment, perception, and interventions aimed at self-esteem in adolescents with obesity.

METHOD: a scoping review, whose protocol was registered on the Open Science Framework platform with the identifier 10.17605/OSF.IO/C6W72. Primary and secondary studies, available in full, without temporal or language restrictions, from eight databases and grey literature were included. Letters to the editor, studies in the protocol phase, or those without results were excluded.

RESULTS

39 studies were selected for analysis. The synthesis of evidence in the investigated adolescents with obesity indicated low self-esteem, which was associated with female sex, body shame, exposure to peer victimization, depressive symptoms, and poor school performance. Interventions with potential results in improving self-esteem were related to weight reduction, such as sports practices, educational programs, and family support.

CONCLUSION

there is a complex relationship between obesity in adolescents and low self-esteem, making it essential to establish good eating habits and regular physical activity, in addition to emotional support for adolescents considering the biopsychosocial dimensions.