The role of peer victimization in the physical activity and screen time of adolescents: a cross-sectional study
Abstract Background Negative peer experiences may lead adolescents with overweight and obesity to be less active and engage in more sitting-related behaviors. Our study is among the first to empirically test these associations and hypothesized that 1) peer victimization would mediate the negative as...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2017-07-01
|
| Series: | BMC Pediatrics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12887-017-0913-x |
| _version_ | 1831795139250487296 |
|---|---|
| author | Jodie A. Stearns Valerie Carson John C. Spence Guy Faulkner Scott T. Leatherdale |
| author_facet | Jodie A. Stearns Valerie Carson John C. Spence Guy Faulkner Scott T. Leatherdale |
| author_sort | Jodie A. Stearns |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Negative peer experiences may lead adolescents with overweight and obesity to be less active and engage in more sitting-related behaviors. Our study is among the first to empirically test these associations and hypothesized that 1) peer victimization would mediate the negative association between body weight status and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and 2) peer victimization would mediate the positive association between body weight status and screen time. Differences by gender were also explored. Methods Participants were a part of the Year 1 data (2012–2013) from the COMPASS study, a prospective cohort study of high school students in Ontario and Alberta, Canada. The final sample consisted of 18,147 students in grades 9 to 12 from 43 Ontario secondary schools. The predictor variable was weight status (non-overweight vs. overweight/obese), the mediator was peer victimization, and the outcome variables were screen time and MVPA. Multilevel path analysis was conducted, controlling for clustering within schools and covariates. A few differences were observed between males and females; therefore, the results are stratified by gender. Results For both males and females peer victimization partially mediated the association between weight status and screen time. Specifically, females with overweight/obesity reported 34 more minutes/day of screen time than did females who were not overweight and 2 of these minutes could be attributed to experiencing peer victimization. Similarly, males who were overweight/obese reported 13 more minutes/day of screen time than the males who were not overweight and 1 of these minutes could be attributed to experiencing more victimization. Males and females who were overweight/obese also reported less MVPA compared to those who were not overweight; however, peer victimization did not mediate these associations in the hypothesized direction. Conclusions We found that higher rates of peer victimization experienced by adolescents with overweight and obesity partially explained why they engaged in more screen time than adolescents who were not overweight. However, the effects were small and may be of limited practical significance. Because this is one of the first studies to investigate these associations, more research is needed before bully prevention or conflict resolution training are explored as intervention strategies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T16:06:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f682721016bd4e2cb525ea34d78dd19d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2431 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T16:06:05Z |
| publishDate | 2017-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Pediatrics |
| spelling | doaj.art-f682721016bd4e2cb525ea34d78dd19d2022-12-21T18:20:37ZengBMCBMC Pediatrics1471-24312017-07-0117111110.1186/s12887-017-0913-xThe role of peer victimization in the physical activity and screen time of adolescents: a cross-sectional studyJodie A. Stearns0Valerie Carson1John C. Spence2Guy Faulkner3Scott T. Leatherdale4Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of AlbertaFaculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of AlbertaFaculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of AlbertaSchool of Kinesiology, Faculty of Education, University of British ColumbiaSchool of Public Health and Health Systems, University of WaterlooAbstract Background Negative peer experiences may lead adolescents with overweight and obesity to be less active and engage in more sitting-related behaviors. Our study is among the first to empirically test these associations and hypothesized that 1) peer victimization would mediate the negative association between body weight status and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and 2) peer victimization would mediate the positive association between body weight status and screen time. Differences by gender were also explored. Methods Participants were a part of the Year 1 data (2012–2013) from the COMPASS study, a prospective cohort study of high school students in Ontario and Alberta, Canada. The final sample consisted of 18,147 students in grades 9 to 12 from 43 Ontario secondary schools. The predictor variable was weight status (non-overweight vs. overweight/obese), the mediator was peer victimization, and the outcome variables were screen time and MVPA. Multilevel path analysis was conducted, controlling for clustering within schools and covariates. A few differences were observed between males and females; therefore, the results are stratified by gender. Results For both males and females peer victimization partially mediated the association between weight status and screen time. Specifically, females with overweight/obesity reported 34 more minutes/day of screen time than did females who were not overweight and 2 of these minutes could be attributed to experiencing peer victimization. Similarly, males who were overweight/obese reported 13 more minutes/day of screen time than the males who were not overweight and 1 of these minutes could be attributed to experiencing more victimization. Males and females who were overweight/obese also reported less MVPA compared to those who were not overweight; however, peer victimization did not mediate these associations in the hypothesized direction. Conclusions We found that higher rates of peer victimization experienced by adolescents with overweight and obesity partially explained why they engaged in more screen time than adolescents who were not overweight. However, the effects were small and may be of limited practical significance. Because this is one of the first studies to investigate these associations, more research is needed before bully prevention or conflict resolution training are explored as intervention strategies.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12887-017-0913-xNegative peer experiencesPeer victimizationMediationAdolescentsYouthAdolescents |
| spellingShingle | Jodie A. Stearns Valerie Carson John C. Spence Guy Faulkner Scott T. Leatherdale The role of peer victimization in the physical activity and screen time of adolescents: a cross-sectional study BMC Pediatrics Negative peer experiences Peer victimization Mediation Adolescents Youth Adolescents |
| title | The role of peer victimization in the physical activity and screen time of adolescents: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full | The role of peer victimization in the physical activity and screen time of adolescents: a cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | The role of peer victimization in the physical activity and screen time of adolescents: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | The role of peer victimization in the physical activity and screen time of adolescents: a cross-sectional study |
| title_short | The role of peer victimization in the physical activity and screen time of adolescents: a cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | role of peer victimization in the physical activity and screen time of adolescents a cross sectional study |
| topic | Negative peer experiences Peer victimization Mediation Adolescents Youth Adolescents |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12887-017-0913-x |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jodieastearns theroleofpeervictimizationinthephysicalactivityandscreentimeofadolescentsacrosssectionalstudy AT valeriecarson theroleofpeervictimizationinthephysicalactivityandscreentimeofadolescentsacrosssectionalstudy AT johncspence theroleofpeervictimizationinthephysicalactivityandscreentimeofadolescentsacrosssectionalstudy AT guyfaulkner theroleofpeervictimizationinthephysicalactivityandscreentimeofadolescentsacrosssectionalstudy AT scotttleatherdale theroleofpeervictimizationinthephysicalactivityandscreentimeofadolescentsacrosssectionalstudy AT jodieastearns roleofpeervictimizationinthephysicalactivityandscreentimeofadolescentsacrosssectionalstudy AT valeriecarson roleofpeervictimizationinthephysicalactivityandscreentimeofadolescentsacrosssectionalstudy AT johncspence roleofpeervictimizationinthephysicalactivityandscreentimeofadolescentsacrosssectionalstudy AT guyfaulkner roleofpeervictimizationinthephysicalactivityandscreentimeofadolescentsacrosssectionalstudy AT scotttleatherdale roleofpeervictimizationinthephysicalactivityandscreentimeofadolescentsacrosssectionalstudy |