Does Parent Support Moderate the Associations Between Perceived Weight Discrimination from Various Sources and Depressive Symptoms Among Middle School Students?

Introduction: To determine if parent support buffers the relationship between perceived weight-based discrimination (PWBD) and depressive symptoms.

Methods: Participants included 412 middle school students (61% female; 53% White). Students reported experiences of PWBD from four different sources (teachers, other adults, peers, and good/best friends). Depressive symptoms were measured with the 9-item CESD scale. Parent support was measured with the 12-item CASS. Linear regression analyses were conducted to determine the relationship between PWBD and depressive symptoms controlling for gender and BMI.

Results: Approximately 15% of participants reported experiencing PWBD. Parent support was only a significant moderator of the relationship between good/best friend weight discrimination and depressive symptoms (p=.007). There was a positive and significant (beta = .28) relationship between high levels of parent support and good/best friend PWBD and depressive symptoms. This relationship was not significant (beta=.053) for low levels of parent support. The main effects of weight discrimination from teachers, other adults, and peers were all significantly and positively associated with depressive symptoms.

Conclusion: Extending previous research, this study found that PWBD from various sources is positively associated with depressive symptoms. In addition, high levels of parental support exacerbated the negative relationship between PWBD by good/best friends and depressive symptoms. It is possible that parents of students who are discriminated against are aware of this discrimination and try to compensate by providing higher levels of support. However, further research is needed to disentangle these relationships and better understand the experience of weight-based discrimination by adolescents.