Adolescent BMI: The Importance of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors
Author
Jacobs, Molly
Abstract
Objectives:
Research shows that weight trends in adolescence persist into adulthood, but do the same factors contribute to weight in adolescence
as in adulthood? Are extrinsic factors presumably more important than intrinsic characteristics? This study identifies the correlation
between BMI and various intrinsic and extrinsic factors and evaluates their relative importance in BMI development. It compares the
primary determinants for adolescents (12-20 years old) and adults (21+ years old).
Methods:
Using 15 years of panel data, generalized linear models, we assessed the impact of extrinsic-environmental, biological, geographic
and household-and intrinsic-sexual activity, substance use, desire to lose weight, etc.-characteristics on adolescent and adult BMI.
Multinomial logit models tested the contribution of these characteristics to weight categories.
Results:
Race and age were the most significant BMI correlates at all ages. This remains true for weight classification as well. For young
adolescents, intrinsic factors are highly deterministic, while extrinsic factors play no role. As adolescents age into adults, intrinsic
factors continue to be deterministic, while extrinsic covariates also emerge as deterministic. Intrinsic determinates of significance
include age of first sexual encounter, tobacco experimentation, perspective on general health, and desire to lose weight (or stay the
same weight).
Conclusion:
While biological/genetic attributes are the largest determinants of BMI at every age, intrinsic factors play a larger role in adolescent
BMI development than adults. As individuals age, intrinsic determinants remain important, but extrinsic characteristics contribute
significantly to weight classification. Thus, the weight determinants differ between adolescents and adults suggesting different
methods of policy intervention be used for adolescents and adults.
Date
2018-04-13
Citation:
APA:
Jacobs, Molly. (April 2018).
Adolescent BMI: The Importance of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors.
,
(),
-
. Retrieved from
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/8381
MLA:
Jacobs, Molly.
"Adolescent BMI: The Importance of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors". .
. (),
April 2018.
December 08, 2023.
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/8381.
Chicago:
Jacobs, Molly,
"Adolescent BMI: The Importance of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors," , no.
(April 2018),
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/8381 (accessed
December 08, 2023).
AMA:
Jacobs, Molly.
Adolescent BMI: The Importance of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors. .
April 2018;
():
.
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/8381. Accessed
December 08, 2023.
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