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Objective To examine the relationship between fruit and vegetable intake and weight control behaviors among youth. Methods Data (N = 16,262) were derived from the 1997 national school-based Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). Results Results indicated that adolescents in this study, especially females, were at risk for inadequate fruit and vegetable intake. Weight-control behaviors were high especially among females. Conclusion Although some weight-control behaviors may be hazardous, adolescents who were practicing weight-control behaviors engaged in the positive dietary behavior of consuming more servings of fruits and vegetables.

Purpose: To determine whether overweight female adolescents differ from normal and underweight female adolescents with respect to a set of psychosocial factors, while controlling for body image. Methods: Female participants of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (n = 3197) were selected for analysis. Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was used to test whether overweight subjects differed from normal and underweight subjects with respect to measures of depression, self-esteem, trouble in school, school connectedness, family connectedness, sense of community, autonomy, protective factors, and grades. Stepdown F-tests and discriminant function coefficients provided information regarding the strength of specific factors in contributing to overall differences. Results: MANOVA revealed significant differences between groups on the combined set of psychosocial factors. Self-esteem defined the difference in a positive direction while grades defined the difference inversely. When controlling for body image, multidimensional group differences were still evident; however, self-esteem was no longer a significant contributing variable. Conclusions: While overweight female adolescents seem to suffer from low self-esteem, it may be explained by body image. Efforts should be directed toward encouraging and supporting healthy eating patterns and physical activity while encouraging students to recognize personal strengths not related to physique.

This study examined the relationship between smoking and participation in unhealthy behaviors among Mexican-American adolescents through a secondary analysis of national data. Mexican-American adolescents (N=580), ages 10 through 18 years who were interviewed as part of the 1993 Teenage Attitudes and Practices Survey (TAPS II), were selected for analysis. Data collected included smoking status of the adolescent and participation in certain unhealthy behaviors. Among girls in the study, smokers were more likely to not wear a seat belt, be involved in physical fighting, not be involved in organized sports, perform poorly in school, say they like to do risky things, and ride in a car with a drunk or high driver. For boys, smoking was significantly associated with liking to do risky things, fighting, not attending church, and poor academic performance. These results suggest that Mexican-American adolescents who smoke may be at higher risk for engaging in behaviors that could compromise their health and safety, and for not being involved in activities that may exert a protective influence. (J Sch Health. 1998;68(9):376–380)

Objective: To examine sex differences in barriers to contraceptive use by using a national sample of 4539 participants from The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Study design: The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health used a stusdy design in which data from Wave 1 were collected between 1994 and 1995. Participants older than 15 years or sexually active were queried regarding various real or potential barriers to contraceptive use. Results: Boys were significantly more likely than girls to believe that using birth control interferes with pleasure during intercourse, is difficult to obtain, is morally wrong, is expensive, is bothersome, involves too much planning, and makes people think they are seeking sex. Significant differences were observed between boys and girls on a summative barrier scale. Conclusions: Male adolescents held stronger views regarding barriers to contraceptive use. More effective and relevant programming can take place at the school and community levels to address these potential barriers on the basis of sex differences. (J Pediatr 2001;139:689–93)

This study determined whether female adolescents who were attempting weight loss (dieters) differ from those who were not (nondieters) with respect to a set of psychosocial factors. The sample consisted of 2,536 normal-weight and underweight female adolescents who participated in the National Longitudinal Adolescent Health Survey. Psychosocial factors examined included depression (four measures), self-esteem, trouble in school, school connectedness, family connectedness, sense of community (two measures), grades, autonomy, and protective factors. MANCOVA revealed significant differences between dieters and nondieters. Self-esteem was the strongest contributing factor differentiating dieters and nondieters. These results have implications for health education and health promotion with regard to both primary and secondary prevention. Self-esteem building should be incorporated within the parameters of a comprehensive school health program and certainly should be a component in any nutrition education program aimed at preventing unhealthy dieting behaviors. By understanding the factors associated with these behaviors, it may be easier to identify individuals attempting weight loss despite being of normal or low body weight.

Participation in health-enhancing behaviors not only influences the health of the mother, but of the newborn child as well. Characteristics of the mother, especially with regard to the practice of health-enhancing behaviors, have typically been excluded from studies examining breastfeeding. The purpose of this study was to identify health-enhancing behaviors correlated with breastfeeding among a national sample of mothers. The third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) provided the sample for this study. All mothers between the ages of 17 and 45 (n = 578) with children aged 3 or younger at the time of the interview, who breastfed, were included. Seven health-enhancing behaviors served as the independent variables in a logistic regression analysis. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated from the estimated regression coefficients, and comparison of proportions were made using Pearson chi-square tests of homogeneity. Smoking less than 100 cigarettes in a lifetime, consuming five or more fruits and/or vegetables daily, and visiting a dentist annually were significantly associated with breastfeeding among the mothers in this sample. The results of this study point to a connection between the health-enhancing behaviors of the mother and breastfeeding. This information can be used to help professionals and practitioners gain a clearer picture of the breastfeeding mother. Multicomponent education programs targeted at new mothers can use this information to guide program development. Breastfeeding mothers may have better overall health as compared to mothers who do not breastfeed, therefore, they may serve as role models in peer-structured activities.