National Study Of The Association Between Interpersonal Violence In Dating Relationships And Unhealthy Weight Control Behaviors In Male And Female Adolescents

In the US, 25% of adolescents reported physical or sexual abuse from an intimate partner (i.e., interpersonal violence [IPV]) and are at increased risk for having unhealthy weight control behaviors (UWCBs). For example, 2.7% of adolescents have been diagnosed with an eating disorder but 35-50% of female and 30% of male adolescents endorse UWCB and 3% engage in steroid abuse. This study examined adolescents with a history of physical, sexual, both, or no IPV within dating relationships as a multi-category predictor variable association with body image, disordered eating behaviors, and steroid use. 13,583 adolescents were evaluated within sex using the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance Survey (YRBS), to determine the risk for UWCBs such as perceived under/overweight, disordered eating behaviors, and steroid use between adolescents who reported IPV compared to those who did not. An association was found in both male and female adolescents such that those who reported IPV also reported higher UWCBs. Generally, adolescents in the United States who report IPV in dating relationships are at higher risk for UWCBs.