White Female Adolescents Research Articles

Ethnic differences in eating attitudes, body image and self-esteem among adolescent females living in urban South Africa

Objective: To examine differences between black and white female adolescents in eating attitudes, body image perceptions, and self-esteem, and the association of these with body mass index (BMI). Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 340 urban South African adolescent girls aged 13, 15 and 17 years, attending private and government (public) high schools. EAT26, body image and self-esteem questionnaires were administered, and height and weight was measured to determine BMI. The associations between BMI and EAT-26, body image perceptions, and self-esteem scores were determined in the different ethnic and age groups. Results: There was a significant difference in eating attitudes, body image perceptions, and self-esteem between the ethnic groups (P<0.05). Significantly more black girls (31.2%) reported an EAT-26 score ≥ 20 (predisposition to an eating disorder) compared to white girls (19.7%) even though the prevalence of overweight/obesity among the white girls was higher (29.5%) than in their black peers (25.1%) (P=0.37). White girls had a higher BMI and lower self-esteem, yet better body image score compared to their black peers. Black girls exhibited a greater tendency to control what they ate compared to white girls, while more white girls had a desire to be thinner compared to black girls. Conclusion: The results suggest that exposure of Western norms of thinness in a multiethnic and cultural urban setting is influencing both eating attitudes and behaviour. These findings are highly relevant for all African countries undergoing transition, and important in the development of interventions to optimise adolescent health prior to adulthood.

Racial differences in the influence of female adolescents’ body size on dating and sex

This paper investigates the effect of body size on dating and sexual experiences of white (non-Hispanic) and African American (non-Hispanic) female adolescents. Using data from Add-Health, we estimate the effects of obesity and BMI z-score on the probability of having been involved in a romantic relationship, having ever been touched in the genital area in a sexual way, and having ever engaged in sexual intercourse. We find that obese white teenage girls are less likely to have been in a romantic relationship compared to their non-obese counterparts. In addition, obese white girls are less likely to ever have had sex (intercourse) or to ever have been intimate. There are no systematic differences in relationship experiences and sexual behaviors between obese and non-obese black girls. Overall, the estimated relationships are very robust to common environmental influences at the school-level and to the inclusion of proxies for low self-esteem, attitudes toward sex and interviewer assessment of appearance and personality. Instrumental variables estimates and estimates from models with lagged weight status confirm the overall patterns.

White and black adolescent females differ in profiles and longitudinal patterns of alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use.

Emerging research suggests that white youth are more likely to show continuity of alcohol use in the year after drinking onset, compared with black youth. Little is known, however, regarding racial differences in year-to-year continuity of alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use during adolescence, particularly among females, who are at greater risk for certain substance-related harm than males. This study used latent class/transition analysis to identify profiles of past year alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use at ages 13-17 in a community sample of 1076 adolescent females (57% black, 43% white). Three profiles of past year substance use were identified in separate analyses by race: "no use," "alcohol only," and "polydrug use." Although similar labels describe the profiles, the probability of endorsing use of a particular substance for a given profile differed by race, precluding direct comparison. Latent transition analyses of five annual waves covering ages 13-17 indicated that an intermittent pattern of use (e.g., use in one year, but not the next) was relatively low at all ages among white girls, but among black girls, an intermittent pattern of use began to decline at age 15. Among black girls, conduct problems at age 12 predicted substance using profiles at age 13, whereas among white girls, intentions to use alcohol and cigarettes at age 12 predicted substance using profiles at age 13. Racial differences in girls' substance use profiles suggest the potential utility of culturally tailored interventions that focus on differences in risk for specific substances and relatively distinct early patterns of use.

Estimation of Fish Intake in Asian and White Female Adolescents, and Association with 2-Year Changes in Body Fatness and Body Fat Distribution: The Female Adolescent Maturation Study

BackgroundFish is an important source of long-chain n-3 fatty acids in the diets of female adolescents, which may affect adipose tissue deposition. ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to evaluate fish intake in Asian and white female adolescents, and to determine whether fish intake was associated with changes in body fatness and body fat distribution in this population. DesignA cross-sectional analysis of fish intake using 3-day food records (n=200), and a prospective analysis of baseline fish intake on anthropometric measurements 2 years later was conducted (n=103). Participants/settingParticipants included female adolescents (aged 9 to 14 years) who were recruited from the Kaiser Permanente Oahu membership database in 2000-2001 as part of the Female Adolescent Maturation study (N=349). Statistical analysisFish intake and the proportion of participants eating 8 oz fish per week was compared between Asian, white, and mixed Asian/white ethnic groups using Kruskal-Wallis test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, and χ2 test, respectively. The effect of fish intake on anthropometric measurements was assessed using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient and linear regression analyses, adjusting for demographic, pubertal, anthropometric, activity, and dietary parameters. ResultsAsians consumed more fish (0.85 oz/wk [range=0.00 to 4.74 oz/wk]) than whites (0.00 oz/wk [0.00 to 0.40 oz/wk]; P=0.0001), and were more likely to eat 8 oz fish per week (13 of 68 vs 2 of 51, respectively; P=0.014). Greater fish intake corresponded to smaller changes in waist circumference when controlling for age, ethnicity, puberty, activity, energy intake, and baseline waist circumference (P=0.026), but not after adjusting for parental and additional dietary parameters (P>0.10). ConclusionsMost female adolescents did not consume the recommended amount of fish, a problem that was more common in whites than Asians. The protective effect of fish intake on abdominal obesity warrants further study.

Literature search and review related to specific preparatory work in the establishment of Dietary Reference Values for Phosphorus, Sodium and Chloride

Literature search and review related to specific preparatory work in the establishment of Dietary Reference Values for Phosphorus, Sodium and Chloride

Melanoma Survival Disadvantage in Young, Non-Hispanic White Males Compared With Females

Worse survival among patients with melanoma has been demonstrated in middle-aged and older men compared with women, but few studies have explored survival differences by sex in adolescents and young adults, in whom melanoma is the third most common cancer. Focusing on sex disparities in survival among younger individuals may provide further evidence of biological rather than behavioral factors that affect melanoma outcome. To determine whether long-term survival varies between white male and female adolescents and young adults with melanoma (15 to 39 years of age at diagnosis) in the United States. Population-based cohort with a mean follow-up of 7.5 years of 26,107 non-Hispanic white adolescents and young adults with primary invasive melanoma of the skin diagnosed from January 1, 1989, through December 31, 2009, and reported to the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results network of cancer registries. Melanoma-specific survival. There were 1561 melanoma-specific deaths in the study population. Although adolescent and young adult males accounted for fewer overall melanoma cases (39.8%) than females, they comprised 63.6% of melanoma-specific deaths. Adolescent and young adult males were 55% more likely to die of melanoma than age-matched females after adjustment for tumor thickness, histologic subtype, presence and extent of metastasis, and anatomical location (hazard ratio, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.39-1.73). Males were also more likely to die within each age range assessed (eg, 15-24, 25-29, 30-34, and 35-39 years), and even those with thin melanomas (≤1.00 mm) were twice as likely to die as age-matched females (hazard ratio, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.57-2.42). Adjustment for health insurance and socioeconomic status in a subanalysis did not significantly alter these results. Male sex is associated with worse survival among white adolescents and young adults with melanoma after controlling for thickness and other prognostic factors. Continued public health efforts are necessary to raise awareness of the outcome of melanoma in young men. Further investigation of possible biological mechanisms that account for these sex differences is merited.

Big and beautiful? Evidence of racial differences in the perceived attractiveness of obese females

This paper investigates the relationships between body weight, race, and attractiveness in appearance and personality among adolescents. We study a sample of 5947 (non-Hispanic) white and black girls age 12 to 18 who were interviewed by a group of 338 interviewers. We find that overweight and obese white female adolescents are, respectively, 23% and 40% less likely, on average, to be perceived as physically attractive compared to normal-weight white girls. The physical appearance penalties are significantly smaller for overweight and obese black girls compared to white girls. These findings suggest that being overweight or obese is costly due to its negative impact on inner and outer perceived beauty, providing an explanation for the observed stigmatization of overweight and obesity among women in labor and relationship markets. The smaller beauty penalties for black girls above the normal-weight range suggest that the range of body sizes considered attractive may be wider for black females.

Supplemental Material for White and Black Adolescent Females Differ in Profiles and Longitudinal Patterns of Alcohol, Cigarette, and Marijuana Use

Supplemental Material for White and Black Adolescent Females Differ in Profiles and Longitudinal Patterns of Alcohol, Cigarette, and Marijuana Use

Ethnic disparities in adolescent body mass index in the United States: The role of parental socioeconomic status and economic contextual factors

This paper examined the importance of household and economic contextual factors as determinants of ethnic disparities in adolescent body mass index (BMI). Individual-level data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 for the years 1997 through 2000 were combined with economic contextual data on food prices, outlet density and median household income. The Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition method was used to examine the factors that could help explain ethnic disparities in BMI. Ethnic differences in household demographic, parental socioeconomic status (SES), and economic contextual factors explained the majority of the male black–white (63%), male Hispanic–white (78%) and female Hispanic–white (62%) BMI gaps but less than one-half of the female black–white BMI gap (44%). We found that adding the economic contextual factors increased the explained portion of the ethnic BMI gap for both female and male adolescents: the economic contextual factors explained 28% and 38% of the black–white and Hispanic–white BMI gaps for males and 13% and 8% of the black–white and Hispanic–white BMI gaps for females, respectively. Parental SES was more important in explaining the Hispanic–white BMI gap than the black–white BMI gap for both genders, whereas neighborhood economic contextual factors were more important in explaining the male BMI gap than the female BMI gap for both black–white and Hispanic–white ethnic disparities. A significantly large portion of the ethnic BMI gap, however, remained unexplained between black and white female adolescents.

Body Image and Modifiable Weight Control Behaviors Among Black Females: A Review of the Literature

Black women are at high risk for obesity and obesity-related health problems (1). Nearly 50% of black women compared to 30% of white women are obese (2,3). While many women who attempt to lose weight do so through caloric restriction and/or physical activity, smoking has been identified as an alternate strategy used for weight loss among black women with weight concerns or body image concerns (4). Nicotine’s suppression of body weight facilitates initiation and maintenance of smoking among women (5–7). Despite the deadly health risks associated with tobacco use, 23.1% of women smoke (8). Female smokers are more likely to report smoking cigarettes to control weight (6,9) and less likely to quit smoking due to weight concern (10). Perkins

The importance of family factors to protect against substance use related problems among Mexican heritage and White youth

IntroductionThis study examined the ability of family cohesion, parental control, and parent–child attachment to prevent adolescents with a history of drug or alcohol use from experiencing subsequent problems related to their use. MethodsData came from Wave I and Wave II of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health and included Mexican heritage and White adolescents who reported alcohol use (n=4894, 25% prevalence) or any other drug use (n=2875, 14% prevalence) in their lifetime. ResultsLogistic regression results indicate greater parent–child attachment predicted lower risk of experiencing drug use problems (OR=0.87, 95% CI=0.77–0.98) while stronger family cohesion predicted lower odds of experiencing drug- (OR=0.82, 95% CI=0.70–0.97) or alcohol-related (OR=0.74, 95% CI=0.65–0.84) problems. Parental control was also negatively associated with odds of problems related to drug use (OR=0.93, 95% CI=0.86–0.99) or alcohol use (OR=0.94, 95% CI=0.90–0.99). Results also indicated family cohesion was the only protective factor for Mexican heritage youth while family cohesion and parent–child attachment were protective among White youth. Parental control protected White female adolescents from drug use problems more than males. Mexican heritage male adolescents experienced more protection from drug problems compared to females. ConclusionFindings highlight the need for prevention interventions to emphasize parent–child attachment for White youth and family cohesion for both Mexican-heritage and White youth to decrease adolescent substance users’ drug- and alcohol-related problems.

Weight misperceptions and racial and ethnic disparities in adolescent female body mass index.

This paper investigated weight misperceptions as determinants of racial/ethnic disparities in body mass index (BMI) among adolescent females using data from the National Survey of Youth 1997. Compared to their white counterparts, higher proportions of black and Hispanic adolescent females underperceived their weight status; that is, they misperceived themselves to have lower weight status compared to their clinically defined weight status. Compared to their black counterparts, higher proportions of white and Hispanic adolescent females misperceived themselves to be heavier than their clinical weight status. Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition analysis showed that accounting for weight misperceptions, in addition to individual and contextual factors, increased the total explained portion of the black-white female BMI gap from 44.7% to 54.3% but only slightly increased the total explained portion of the Hispanic-white gap from 62.8% to 63.1%. Weight misperceptions explained 13.0% of the black-white female BMI gap and 3.3% of the Hispanic-white female BMI gap. The regression estimates showed that weight underperceptions were important determinants of adolescent female BMI, particularly among black and Hispanic adolescents. Education regarding identification and interpretation of weight status may play an important role to help reduce the incidence and racial disparity of female adolescent obesity.

Differences in Stimulated Androgen Levels in Black and White Obese Adolescent Females

Study Objective Little is known about racial differences in androgen levels among obese children. The objective of this pilot study was to compare basal and stimulated androgen levels in a cross-sectional sample of obese black and white pubertal females. Study Design, Setting, and Participants This was cross-sectional study of obese (body mass index ≥ 95th percentile) but otherwise healthy female adolescents (10 black and 12 white; age range 8.8-13.9 y) who underwent adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation testing at an academic medical center as part of a protocol for the study of obesity-related conditions. Main Outcome Measures Basal and stimulated androgen levels. Results White and black participants were similar with regard to pubertal stage, body mass index, percentage body fat, and fasting glucose and insulin levels. Black girls had lower stimulated levels of 17-hydroxyprogesterone, and the differences between basal and stimulated levels of 17-hydroxyprogesterone and androstenedione were lower in black girls. Body mass index was negatively correlated with stimulated cortisol in blacks only ( r = -0.69, P = .03). Conclusion There appear to be race-related differences in stimulated androgen levels in obese adolescent females. These differences deserve further study, as measurements of androgen levels are commonly used in clinical practice and research.

Ethnic differences in food sources of vitamin D in adolescent American girls: the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study was a 10-year longitudinal study of the development of obesity and cardiovascular disease risk factors (including dietary, psychosocial, environmental, and others) in 2379 African American and white girls who were 9 or 10 years old at study entry. Current studies have documented a high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency among healthy children, adolescents, and young adults in the United States, especially among low-income, black, and Hispanic children (defined as serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations of <20 ng/mL). Although the main source of vitamin D is direct exposure of the skin to ultraviolet rays from sunlight, certain foods contribute vitamin D including fortified milk, meat, eggs, oils, and fortified cereals. Vulnerable subgroups that are especially at risk for inadequate intakes of vitamin D include teenage girls and women. Research providing the prevalent food sources of vitamin D, especially in the diets of both white and African American female adolescents is limited. The purpose of this study is to document food sources of vitamin D reported by this biracial young cohort and compare potential ethnic or other differences that could enhance tailored dietary interventions that are particularly relevant to this vulnerable population subgroup.

What they wish they would have known: Support for comprehensive sexual education from Mexican American and White adolescents' dating and sexual desires

Focus groups were conducted to assess what Mexican American and White male and female adolescents wished they had known about romantic and sexual relationships. Relevant gender and ethnic differences emerged in adolescents' desires and findings across all groups supported a need for comprehensive sexual education that contextualizes sexual activity within a framework that emphasizes socio-emotional skills and well-being. Adolescents' desires were emotional, relational, physical and interpersonal in nature. Youth preferred parents and school educators as key sources of information and support. Recommendations for prevention programming and policy are discussed.

Tanning predicts bone mass but not structure in adolescent females living in Hawaii

To evaluate the relationship between facultative skin pigmentation, which predicts circulating levels of plasma 25-hydroxymitamin D, and several measures of bone mass and structure in a cross sectional sample of adolescent females living in Hawaii. Our sample was composed of adolescent females (n = 94) living in Hawaii where seasonal sun exposure is minimal, and who self-identified as either white (n = 16) or Asian (n = 78). Bone mineral content (BMC) of the total body, the lumbar spine and the hip, and cross sectional area (CSA) and section modulus (Z) at the proximal femur were quantified using DXA. Facultative skin pigmentation was measured at the forehead and non-facultative skin pigmentation was measured at the inner arm using a Chroma Meter CR-200b colorimeter. There were no significant differences between ethnic groups in terms of skin pigmentation. The difference between a* taken at the forehead and inner upper arm significantly predicted BMC at the lumbar spine, total hip, and total body. Other measures of skin pigmentation were not significant predictors of any other measure of skeletal integrity. The difference between facultative and non-facultative skin pigmentation for a* is a significant predictor BMC, but not bone structure. Our findings are limited by an inability to control for long term UVA and UVB exposure and lack of a measure of serum 25(OH)D status. Further research is needed to examine these questions, particularly in populations who live at high latitudes where a winter season limits vitamin D(3) synthesis.

Advice from teens to teens about dating: Implications for healthy relationships

Seventy-five Mexican American and White male and female adolescents were asked in focus groups to offer advice to other adolescents pertaining to dating relationships. Across ethnicities and sexes, “Stay on your feet” was the most prominent advice given, followed by advice to “Know when it's right”. “Have good reasoning…especially about that was a prominent theme among females; Mexican American females focused more on pressure associated with sexual activity while White females embedded their advice more often within futuristic and long-term relationship goals. Females offered roughly three times more relationship advice than did males and dialogued collaboratively at greater length, enriching their advice with personal and emotional experiences. Findings are interpreted within a developmental and feminist perspective and in line with recent recommendations for sexual and dating education as outlined by Romeo and Kelley (2009).

Understanding the Different Realities, Experience, and Use of Self-Esteem Between Black and White Adolescent Girls

African American adolescent females possess higher self-esteem than any other racial or ethnic adolescent female group. This article tests two popular empirically supported explanations for Black high self-esteem: contingency of self-esteem theory and the locus of control model. This article builds on past research to illustrate the specific mechanisms of self-esteem for Black and White adolescent girls. To facilitate an investigation of these theories, self-esteem was explored as a bidimensional construct consisting of self-worth and self-deprecation. The sample consisted of 453 Black and 1,902 White adolescent females. Multivariate regression analyses produced the following outcomes: The contingency of self-esteem theory and the locus of control model were not supported. A significant race by social support interaction found that even in low support situations Black adolescent females reported less self-deprecation than White females.

Racial differences in central adiposity in a longitudinal cohort of black and white adolescent females

BackgroundCentral adiposity is related to chronic disease risk in adolescents. Racial differences in waist circumference have been identified using cross-sectional data from this age group. We tested for racial differences in age-related growth in waist circumference in a longitudinal cohort of black and white adolescent girls.MethodsWe analyzed 9 years of publicly available data from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study, for 2379 girls (1213 black and 1166 white) enrolled at age 9-10 years in 1987-1988 and followed annually. Individual growth trajectories of waist circumference were constructed for girls with >3 annual measures. Mixed models were used to compare changes in waist circumference during adolescence between black and white females. BMI and age at menarche were included in the models.ResultsAt each age, black females had significantly higher waist circumference. Mean annual increase in waist circumference was significantly higher for black females compared to white females (1.46 cm/yr vs. 1.36 cm/yr, respectively). After adjusting for BMI, the mean annual increase in waist circumference for white females was significantly higher than for black females (0.08 cm/yr vs. -0.07 cm/yr, respectively). These relationships remained significant after adjusting for age at menarche.ConclusionsBlack females had significantly steeper increases in waist circumference over adolescence than white females. After adjusting for BMI and age at menarche, however, the annual increase in waist circumference for black females was significantly shallower than for their white peers. These data suggest racial differences in the deposition of fat over the adolescent period.

TEENAGE GIRLS' PERSONAL WEBLOG WRITING

This paper presents an analysis of the construction of female gender identity in British and Spanish personal weblog writing. More precisely, this study offers an insight into the way white female adolescents conceptualize gender roles in twenty-first century society, especially in terms of self-expression. Inspection of this British and Spanish blog corpus suggests that British and Spanish teenage females' gain of self-esteem is still at an early stage as far as interpersonal relationships are concerned. The results highlight that both cultures seem to head towards a particular schema of androgyny which throws further light on gender role parameters. In addition, this culturally based redefinition reveals two different social phenomena resulting from the fight for gender equality in both societies.