Body dissatisfaction, drug use, and associated factors among adolescents in three Brazilian cities.
Ryvanne Paulino Rocha, Patrícia Paiva de Oliveira Galvão, Zila van der Meer Sanchez and 7 others
PMID 36197388WHAT IT FOUND
Most Brazilian adolescents were dissatisfied with their bodies, mostly wanting to be thinner.
Girls and higher-income students were more likely to feel overweight. Marijuana users were more likely to feel underweight. Alcohol and smoking showed no significant link to dissatisfaction in the final model.
Key findings
01Almost 70% of adolescents reported body dissatisfaction, with dissatisfaction due to overweight being the most common at 38.44%.
02Being a girl increased the adjusted odds of dissatisfaction due to overweight by 24% compared to boys.
03Adolescents who used marijuana were 39% more likely to report dissatisfaction due to underweight than non-users.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot determine whether drug use caused body dissatisfaction or vice versa. Data were self-reported and collected in a school setting, which may have influenced honesty due to peer presence or fear of judgment. The sample was limited to three cities in Brazil, which may not represent the diversity of the entire country. The analysis relied on imputation for missing data regarding body dissatisfaction.
Declared interests
The study was part of a larger trial coordinated by the Coordination of Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drugs of the Ministry of Health. No specific financial conflicts of interest were declared by the authors in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that marijuana use causes body dissatisfaction or that avoiding it prevents it. The study is cross-sectional, meaning it only shows an association at one point in time. It is equally possible that adolescents who are already dissatisfied with their weight are more likely to use marijuana, perhaps believing it will help them gain weight.