Trajectories of BMI and internalizing symptoms: Associations across adolescence

Abstract

The present study examined the longitudinal relations between body mass index (BMI) and internalizing symptoms among youth ages 10–17. Adolescents were selected from Statistics Canada's National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY). Latent growth curve modeling was used to investigate: 1) whether initial level (at age 10) or change in BMI were associated with changes in internalizing symptoms; and, 2) whether initial level or change in internalizing symptoms were associated with changes in BMI across adolescence. Associations between trajectories differed for boys and girls. Boys who started out with higher BMI experienced more internalizing symptoms across early- to mid-adolescence, but not more depressive symptoms at ages 16 and 17. For girls, there was a bidirectional relation between BMI and internalizing symptoms which persisted into later adolescence. Results suggest the bidirectional relation between BMI and internalizing symptoms is more salient for girls than for boys.