‘You are Constantly Trying to Make the Best Out of All Situations’: Adolescents with Overweight and School Health Nurses in Norway on Weight Stigma and Physical Activity

Background: Weight stigma is highly present in physical activities in the lives of adolescents with overweight. Nevertheless, increased physical activity is one of the target lifestyle determinants in health workers’ follow-up with adolescents at risk of negative weight development. The present stud...

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Main Authors: Ingeborg Berg Skogen, Silje Louise Dahl, Kjetil Laurits Høydal
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Ubiquity Press 2022-09-01
Series:Physical Activity and Health
Subjects:
Online Access:https://paahjournal.com/articles/197
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author Ingeborg Berg Skogen
Silje Louise Dahl
Kjetil Laurits Høydal
author_facet Ingeborg Berg Skogen
Silje Louise Dahl
Kjetil Laurits Høydal
author_sort Ingeborg Berg Skogen
collection DOAJ
description Background: Weight stigma is highly present in physical activities in the lives of adolescents with overweight. Nevertheless, increased physical activity is one of the target lifestyle determinants in health workers’ follow-up with adolescents at risk of negative weight development. The present study examines how adolescents with overweight and school health nurses who monitor and guide these young people perceive weight stigma in physical activity. Methods: We interviewed a community sample of 10 adolescents (13–18 years) with overweight or obesity and six school health nurses about weight stigma in physical activity. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: We generated three main themes describing experiences with weight stigma in physical activity. 1) ‘being (in)visible’ identified contradictory motives of both wanting to hide their body to avoid being on display and at the same time working hard to be physically active to disprove the stereotypical view of people with overweight, 2) ‘being perceived as unacceptable’ identified adolescents’ understandings of themselves as individuals who ought to transform into a slimmer version through exercise and 3) ‘dealing with social interaction’ identified different strategies used to handle the stigma. Conclusion: Insight into adolescents’ complex experiences with weight stigma related to physical activity and follow-up with school health nurses is essential to inform approaches to increase physical activity participation without reinforcing weight stigma.
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spelling doaj.art-46eb105f500e4cf782130aa822cdd4072022-12-22T04:30:17ZengUbiquity PressPhysical Activity and Health2515-22702022-09-016110.5334/paah.19792‘You are Constantly Trying to Make the Best Out of All Situations’: Adolescents with Overweight and School Health Nurses in Norway on Weight Stigma and Physical ActivityIngeborg Berg Skogen0Silje Louise Dahl1Kjetil Laurits Høydal2Volda University CollegeVolda University CollegeVolda University CollegeBackground: Weight stigma is highly present in physical activities in the lives of adolescents with overweight. Nevertheless, increased physical activity is one of the target lifestyle determinants in health workers’ follow-up with adolescents at risk of negative weight development. The present study examines how adolescents with overweight and school health nurses who monitor and guide these young people perceive weight stigma in physical activity. Methods: We interviewed a community sample of 10 adolescents (13–18 years) with overweight or obesity and six school health nurses about weight stigma in physical activity. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: We generated three main themes describing experiences with weight stigma in physical activity. 1) ‘being (in)visible’ identified contradictory motives of both wanting to hide their body to avoid being on display and at the same time working hard to be physically active to disprove the stereotypical view of people with overweight, 2) ‘being perceived as unacceptable’ identified adolescents’ understandings of themselves as individuals who ought to transform into a slimmer version through exercise and 3) ‘dealing with social interaction’ identified different strategies used to handle the stigma. Conclusion: Insight into adolescents’ complex experiences with weight stigma related to physical activity and follow-up with school health nurses is essential to inform approaches to increase physical activity participation without reinforcing weight stigma.https://paahjournal.com/articles/197adolescentsoverweightobesityphysical activityweight stigmaschool health nurses
spellingShingle Ingeborg Berg Skogen
Silje Louise Dahl
Kjetil Laurits Høydal
‘You are Constantly Trying to Make the Best Out of All Situations’: Adolescents with Overweight and School Health Nurses in Norway on Weight Stigma and Physical Activity
Physical Activity and Health
adolescents
overweight
obesity
physical activity
weight stigma
school health nurses
title ‘You are Constantly Trying to Make the Best Out of All Situations’: Adolescents with Overweight and School Health Nurses in Norway on Weight Stigma and Physical Activity
title_full ‘You are Constantly Trying to Make the Best Out of All Situations’: Adolescents with Overweight and School Health Nurses in Norway on Weight Stigma and Physical Activity
title_fullStr ‘You are Constantly Trying to Make the Best Out of All Situations’: Adolescents with Overweight and School Health Nurses in Norway on Weight Stigma and Physical Activity
title_full_unstemmed ‘You are Constantly Trying to Make the Best Out of All Situations’: Adolescents with Overweight and School Health Nurses in Norway on Weight Stigma and Physical Activity
title_short ‘You are Constantly Trying to Make the Best Out of All Situations’: Adolescents with Overweight and School Health Nurses in Norway on Weight Stigma and Physical Activity
title_sort you are constantly trying to make the best out of all situations adolescents with overweight and school health nurses in norway on weight stigma and physical activity
topic adolescents
overweight
obesity
physical activity
weight stigma
school health nurses
url https://paahjournal.com/articles/197
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