Body Mass Index, Body Weight Perception, and Depressed Mood in Korean Adolescents

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: We examined the relationships between the body mass index, body weight perception, and depressed mood in a nationally representative sample of Korean adolescents. METHODS: We analyzed the data from the 2013 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey and evaluated the relationships between the body mass index, body weight perception, and depressed mood by gender (36655 boys and 35780 girls). RESULTS: For boys, a low body mass index and perceiving oneself as underweight were related to depressed mood. For girls, both low and high body mass indices were negatively related to depressed mood. In addition, self-perceptions of being underweight or overweight were positively related to depressed mood. Body weight perception was not a significant mediator in the relationship between body mass index and depressed mood. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that both body mass index and body weight perception significantly contribute to Korean adolescents' depressed mood. Thus, research and clinical attention needs to be given to underweight as well as overweight adolescents, because those who perceive their weight as not normal are at risk for depression.