A Study of Bullying Victimization and Gender as Predictors of MATCH Treatment Response Among Seventh Grade Boys and Girls

Abstract

Bullying victimization may adversely impact treatment response among students in a weight management intervention, but existing research has not directly measured this effect. The current study used existing data from a school-based weight management intervention, Motivating Adolescents with Technology to CHOOSE Health (MATCH), to examine the relationship between bullying victimization frequency and MATCH treatment response. Participants (n = 1,235) were identified as overweight, obese, or severely obese before the intervention began. Results suggest that as students’ BMI increase, they report increased bullying victimization experiences; additionally, bullying victimization may negatively impact treatment response for students who are regularly bullied when compared to students who are never bullied. Gender differences were also considered, but there were no statistically significant relationships found between gender and methods of bullying victimization, and gender was not found to moderate the relationship between frequency of bullying victimization and treatment response, as originally hypothesized. Limitations of the current study, finding implications, and suggestions for future research are also discussed.