142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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Extreme Weight Control Behaviors and Suicide Risk Among High School Students

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Monday, November 17, 2014 : 3:30 PM - 3:50 PM

Emily Johnson, MS, CHES , Department of Health Education & Behavior, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Robert Weiler, PhD, MPH
Tracey E. Barnett, PhD , Department of Behavioral Science and Community Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Lisa Pealer, PhD , Hassett Willis and Company, Washington, DC
Purpose: Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 15-19.  Research has established a clear association across numerous risk factors and suicide, including depression, substance abuse, bullying victimization, and feelings of alienation.   However, the connection between disordered eating as manifested in extreme weight control behaviors (EWCB), and suicidal thoughts, ideation, and attempts among adolescents is less understood. Given the prevalence of adolescent suicide, this investigation examined associations between EWCB and suicide risk among high school students.

Methods:  Data were collected from a convenience sample of 4,178 students in grades 9-12 attending five high schools using the YRBS questionnaire. Logistical regression was used to estimate associations between EWCB and suicide controlling for sex, grade level, and race.

Results: Students reporting fasting to lose weight were 3.7 times (CI:3.0-4.7) more likely to report feelings of hopelessness and thoughts of suicide;  3.3 times (CI:2.6-4.1) more likely to have planned a suicide attempt; and 2.3 times (CI:1.8-2.9) more likely to have  attempted suicide. Students reporting vomiting or taking laxatives to lose weight were 4.0 times (CI:2.9-5.4) more likely to report feelings of hopelessness; 3.7 times (CI:2.7-5.0) more likely to report thoughts of suicide; 3.5 times more likely to have planned a suicide attempt; and 2.9 times (CI:2.1-4.0) more likely to have attempted suicide. 

Conclusion: EWCB are significantly associated with suicide risk, complementing the evidence suggesting a link between disordered eating and suicide. Findings demonstrate the need for school health services that address disordered eating in the effort to curb adolescent suicide.

Learning Areas:

Advocacy for health and health education
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs

Learning Objectives:
Explain the association between adolescent extreme weight control behaviors and increased risk of suicidal thoughts and attempts. Compare those students who fast to lose weight with those who use diet pills and their increased risk of suicide attempts or thoughts, and feelings of hopelessness.

Keyword(s): Adolescents, Suicide

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a Doctoral Student in the Health Education Department who has been working with professionals in the field of adolescent health, both who have authored and co-authored multiple scholarly articles. They bring expertise to the study and I am able to bring my knowledge and experience of working with high school students.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3396.0: Award winning research in school health