TY - JOUR
T1 - Dynamic weight status changes and peer lifestyles in early adolescence
T2 - A social network analysis on a longitudinal cohort of Taiwanese youth
AU - Lee, Chih Ting
AU - Chen, Tsai Wei
AU - Ubeda Herrera, Josue Jaru
AU - Yu, Yi Fang
AU - Strong, Carol
AU - Lin, Chung Ying
AU - Chang, Yun Hsuan
AU - Hsieh, Yi Ping
AU - Lin, Yi Ching
AU - Tsai, Meng Che
N1 - Funding Information:
The Taiwan Youth Project was funded by the Academia Sinica ( AS-93-TP-C01 ) and directed by Dr. Chin-Chun Yi. The Center for Survey Research of the Academia Sinica is responsible for the data distribution. The authors thank Dr. Yi and everyone else at the Academia Sinica and the Taiwan Youth Project for providing the data and all the other administrative assistance they gave.
Funding Information:
This study was supported by the research grant awarded to Tsai MC from the Ministry of Science and Technology , Taiwan ( MOST-110–2629-B-006−001 ) and an intramural research grant awarded to Lee CT from the National Cheng Kung University Hospital ( NCKUH-11003002 ).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Asia Oceania Association for the Study of Obesity
PY - 2022/11/1
Y1 - 2022/11/1
N2 - Background: Friendship networks are relevant to adolescent weight status and lifestyle, but little is known about their relationship in an East Asian setting. Using a longitudinal cohort of Taiwanese adolescents, we studied how weight status and lifestyles might influence friendship. Simultaneously considering the influence of friendship networks, we further examined the effects of peers’ lifestyles on the body weight status of adolescents. Methods: Data were retrieved from the first three waves of the Taiwan Youth Project (N = 2409; 51 % boys). Participants were asked to nominate their friends at school and to report their lifestyle factors (e.g. sleep habits, internet use, and athletic performance). Weight status was proxied by body mass index calculated from self-reported weight and height. Stochastic actor-based modeling was used for the friendship network analyses. Results: Considering network structure, adolescents selected friends based on similarities in weight status (β = 0.147 [standard error = 0.044], p < 0.001) and lifestyle factors, such as athletic performance (β = 0.181 [0.034], p < 0.001), internet use (β = 0.156 [0.039], p < 0.001), and social jetlag (β = 0.055 [ ± 0.022], p < 0.05). In the behavior dynamics model, we did not observe any peer influence on changes in adolescents’ weight status. Conclusion: These findings suggest a pervasive homophilic friendship selection explained by weight and lifestyle-based similarities, despite no evidence of peer influence on weight status. Stakeholders and care providers of adolescent health should be aware of the social network processes that underlie weight problems.
AB - Background: Friendship networks are relevant to adolescent weight status and lifestyle, but little is known about their relationship in an East Asian setting. Using a longitudinal cohort of Taiwanese adolescents, we studied how weight status and lifestyles might influence friendship. Simultaneously considering the influence of friendship networks, we further examined the effects of peers’ lifestyles on the body weight status of adolescents. Methods: Data were retrieved from the first three waves of the Taiwan Youth Project (N = 2409; 51 % boys). Participants were asked to nominate their friends at school and to report their lifestyle factors (e.g. sleep habits, internet use, and athletic performance). Weight status was proxied by body mass index calculated from self-reported weight and height. Stochastic actor-based modeling was used for the friendship network analyses. Results: Considering network structure, adolescents selected friends based on similarities in weight status (β = 0.147 [standard error = 0.044], p < 0.001) and lifestyle factors, such as athletic performance (β = 0.181 [0.034], p < 0.001), internet use (β = 0.156 [0.039], p < 0.001), and social jetlag (β = 0.055 [ ± 0.022], p < 0.05). In the behavior dynamics model, we did not observe any peer influence on changes in adolescents’ weight status. Conclusion: These findings suggest a pervasive homophilic friendship selection explained by weight and lifestyle-based similarities, despite no evidence of peer influence on weight status. Stakeholders and care providers of adolescent health should be aware of the social network processes that underlie weight problems.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.orcp.2022.10.004
DO - 10.1016/j.orcp.2022.10.004
M3 - Article
C2 - 36280575
AN - SCOPUS:85140243726
SN - 1871-403X
VL - 16
SP - 470
EP - 475
JO - Obesity Research and Clinical Practice
JF - Obesity Research and Clinical Practice
IS - 6
ER -