Citation

Khullar D, Oreskovic NM, Perrin JM, Goodman E. J. Adolesc. Health 2011; 49(5): 553-555.

Affiliation

Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jadohealth.2011.04.003

PMID

22018574

PMCID

PMC3202293

Abstract

PURPOSE: To assess whether dispositional optimism is associated with adiposity and to explore whether dispositional optimism mediates the relationship between parent education and adiposity (body mass index [BMI] z-score). METHODS: Multivariate regression analyses of data were collected from 1,298 non-Hispanic black and white adolescents aged 12-19 years from a single Midwestern public school district. RESULTS: Less optimistic adolescents had higher BMI z-scores (r = -.09, p < .001). Addition of dispositional optimism to the regression model caused an approximately 10% attenuation of the parent education and BMI z-score relationship. Sobel tests confirmed that this attenuation indicated partial mediation. CONCLUSION: Lower dispositional optimism is associated with higher adiposity and this association accounts for some of the influence of parent education on adolescent adiposity.

Language: en