Pauline W Jansen1, Marina Verlinden2, Anke Dommisse-van Berkel3, Cathelijne L Mieloo4, Hein Raat5, Albert Hofman6, Vincent W V Jaddoe7, Frank C Verhulst8, Wilma Jansen4, Henning Tiemeier9. 1. Departments of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, and Institute of Psychology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands; p.w.jansen@erasmusmc.nl. 2. Departments of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, and The Generation R Study Group, and. 3. Municipal Public Health Service Rotterdam Rijnmond, Rotterdam, Netherlands. 4. Municipal Public Health Service Rotterdam Rijnmond, Rotterdam, Netherlands Departments of Public Health. 5. Departments of Public Health. 6. Epidemiology, and. 7. The Generation R Study Group, and Epidemiology, and Pediatrics, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, Netherlands; 8. Departments of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, and. 9. Departments of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, and Epidemiology, and Psychiatry, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands; and.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Overweight is a potential risk factor for peer victimization in late childhood and adolescence. The current study investigated the association between BMI in early primary school and different bullying involvement roles (uninvolved, bully, victim, and bully-victim) as reported by teachers and children themselves. METHODS: In a population-based study in the Netherlands, measured BMI and teacher-reported bullying behavior were available for 4364 children (mean age = 6.2 years). In a subsample of 1327 children, a peer nomination method was used to obtain child reports of bullying. RESULTS: In both teacher- and child-reported data, a higher BMI was associated with more victimization and more bullying perpetration. For instance, a 1-point increase in BMI was associated with a 0.05 increase on the standardized teacher-reported victimization score (95% confidence interval, 0.03 to 0.07; P < .001). Combining the victimization and bullying scores into different types of bullying involvement showed that children with obesity, but not children with overweight, had a significantly higher risk to be a bully-victim (odds ratio = 2.25; 95% confidence interval, 1.62 to 3.14) than normal-weight peers. CONCLUSIONS: At school entry, a high BMI is a risk factor associated with victimization and bullying perpetration, with obese children particularly likely to be victims and aggressors. Results were consistent for teacher and child reports of bullying, supporting the validity of our findings. Possibly, obesity triggers peer problems, but the association may also reflect a common underlying cause that makes obese children vulnerable to bullying involvement.
BACKGROUND: Overweight is a potential risk factor for peer victimization in late childhood and adolescence. The current study investigated the association between BMI in early primary school and different bullying involvement roles (uninvolved, bully, victim, and bully-victim) as reported by teachers and children themselves. METHODS: In a population-based study in the Netherlands, measured BMI and teacher-reported bullying behavior were available for 4364 children (mean age = 6.2 years). In a subsample of 1327 children, a peer nomination method was used to obtain child reports of bullying. RESULTS: In both teacher- and child-reported data, a higher BMI was associated with more victimization and more bullying perpetration. For instance, a 1-point increase in BMI was associated with a 0.05 increase on the standardized teacher-reported victimization score (95% confidence interval, 0.03 to 0.07; P < .001). Combining the victimization and bullying scores into different types of bullying involvement showed that children with obesity, but not children with overweight, had a significantly higher risk to be a bully-victim (odds ratio = 2.25; 95% confidence interval, 1.62 to 3.14) than normal-weight peers. CONCLUSIONS: At school entry, a high BMI is a risk factor associated with victimization and bullying perpetration, with obesechildren particularly likely to be victims and aggressors. Results were consistent for teacher and child reports of bullying, supporting the validity of our findings. Possibly, obesity triggers peer problems, but the association may also reflect a common underlying cause that makes obesechildren vulnerable to bullying involvement.
Authors: Rosa H Mulder; Esther Walton; Alexander Neumann; Lotte C Houtepen; Janine F Felix; Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg; Matthew Suderman; Henning Tiemeier; Marinus H van IJzendoorn; Caroline L Relton; Charlotte A M Cecil Journal: Epigenetics Date: 2020-01-28 Impact factor: 4.528
Authors: Prince C I Umoke; MaryJoy Umoke; Christian S Ugwuanyi; Chinedu I O Okeke; Chiedu Eseadi; Adaorah R Onuorah; Gloria C Ugwu; Patience Enuma Obiweluozo; Uchenna Eugenia Uzodinma; Rowland C Uwakwe; Mercy Benedette Ifeoma Uba; Elizabeth N Ebizie; Nkechi G Onyeke; Mkpoikanke S Otu Journal: Medicine (Baltimore) Date: 2020-09-25 Impact factor: 1.817