Browsing by Subject "fyysinen kasvu"

Objective: Obesity and poor mental health frequently co-occur in adulthood, but their comorbidity and causality during adolescence remain less explored. This study aimed to investigate how symptoms of depression, symptoms of anxiety, self-esteem, and psychological resilience associate to physical growth in Finnish youth. Methods: This study included 1,286 on average 11.2-year-old children (51% girls) from the Finnish Health in Teens (Fin-HIT) cohort study, of which 814 were followed for an average of 4.3 years. Symptoms of depression and symptoms of anxiety were evaluated with Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC) and Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) at the age of 11. Self-esteem was assessed with Self-Perception Profile for Children (SPPC) at the age of 11. Baseline categorical psychological resilience was cross-classified into four phenotypes based on combination of exposure to early stressful life events (SLEs), assessed with Life Events as Stressors in Childhood and Adolescence, and psychological health, assessed with CES-DC and/or SCARED and SPPC. Weight, height, and waist circumference were self-reported at ages 11 and 15. Sex- and age-specific BMIz was calculated based on IOTF guidelines, and WtHr as waist circumference divided by height. Linear regression models were used to examine the associations between mental health indicators and BMIz/WtHr, while multilevel modeling was used to examine how the mental health indicators associate with change in BMIz/WtHr during the follow-up period. Results: Higher depressive symptoms were associated with a higher WtHr at baseline (p = .001) and a decrease in BMIz (p = .02) and WtHr (p = .001) over the follow-up period. Symptoms of anxiety were associated with a higher WtHr at baseline (p = .017) and a decrease in BMIz (p = .035), and after adjusting for age and sex also with a decrease in WtHr (p = .02). Higher self-esteem was associated with a lower baseline BMIz and WtHr (both p < .001), with a lower follow-up BMIz (p = .041) and WtHr (p = .096), as well as an increasing BMIz (p = .009) and WtHr (p = .016). Belonging to the resilient group was associated with a lower BMIz (p = .04) and WtHr (p = .004) at baseline, as well as a greater increase in BMIz (p = .009) and WtHr (p = .016) during the follow-up period when compared to the non-resilient group. Conclusion: Indicators of mental health and psychological resilience were associated with physical growth in adolescence, and their impact varied over time. These results underline the importance of considering mental health indicators in understanding and addressing adolescent obesity and its dynamics during this critical developmental period.