Determinants of Unhealthy Weight Loss Practices among High School Youth

Background: Unhealthy weight loss practices are deemed risky to youth's health. 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey (YRBSS) data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate 16.2% 9th to 12th graders had unhealthy weight loss practices.

Objective: This study explored the possible determinants of unhealthy weight loss practices among high school students.

Methods: We analyzed data from 2007 YRBSS. Unhealthy weight loss practices include fasting, taking diet pills/powder without doctor's advice, and vomiting or taking laxatives to lose weight during the past 30 days. We used multiple logistic regression to model the odds of unhealthy weight loss practices.

Results: 2007 YRBSS data included 14,041 students in grades 9-12. Students who participated more exercise at P.E. class and sleep more than 8 hours per day showed reduced risk of unhealthy weight loss practices (OR=.72, p=.002; OR=.67, p<.001). Female students tend to have elevated risk for unhealthy weight loss practices than males (OR=1.86, p<.001). Moreover, students didn't exercise to lose weight in 30 days (OR=3.10, p<.001), perceived unhealthy (OR=2.32, p<.001), didn't eat fruit or vegetable 5 times in past 7 days (OR=1.6, p<.001), and weight is higher than 85th percentile (OR=1.46, p<.001) tend to have elevated risk for unhealthy weight loss practice.

Conclusions: These findings suggest female and overweight students had higher risk of unhealthy weight loss than male and normal weight students. The participation in exercise, eating fruit and vegetable regularly, and sleep more than 8 hours per day can lead youth away from unhealthy weight loss practices.