Self-Esteem and Body Mass Index of Obese and Normal Weight African American Girls

Over the past 20 years, an increase in diseases related to childhood obesity amongst all race/ethnicities in the United States has added millions of dollars to health care costs. The group with the highest reported cases of childhood obesity is African American (AA) girls. However, ample investigation to determine the psychological impact of obesity among AA girls is lacking. This study's purpose was to investigate the prevalence of obesity among AA girls and its possible impact on their self-esteem. Using the 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Survey data set, the relationship between the main variable (self-esteem) and the covariates (bullying, suicidal ideation, weight control, physical activity, and dietary behaviors) was identified. The theory of reasoned action/planned behavior was used as a framework to help explain possible variations in self-esteem levels between the obese AA girls and their nonobese peers. Logistic regression with and without interaction effects using Wald χ 2 and odds ratio revealed no difference between the obese and non-obese girls' independent variables: bullying, suicidal ideation, dietary behaviors, grade, and self-esteem levels. Results related to physical activity, weight control behavior, weight status and self-esteem were statistically significant indicating that AA girls who had tried to exercise to lose weight, practiced unhealthy weight control behaviors, and perceived themselves to be obese were more likely to have low self-esteem, which is supported by previous research. This study contributes to positive social change by raising awareness among healthcare professionals in the private and public health settings that risk behavior responses and self-esteem levels should also be considered in designing effective psychological and weight management programs.