Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Health

Advisor

Peter B. Anderson

Abstract

Adolescents being overweight/obese is a public health crisis that threatens the health and welfare of adolescents going into adulthood and places a significant strain on society. It has been described as one of the most severe public health challenges of the 21st century by the World Health Organization. The pervasiveness of obesity in adolescents rose by 47.1% over the last three decades, and it disproportionally affects racial/ethnic minority lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) persons. Guided by distal and proximal health behaviors, the minority stress model, and intersectionality, the purpose of this study was to examine whether being overweight or obese influences the psychosocial outcomes of depression, suicidality, and substance use in racial/ethnic and sexual minority adolescents who participated in the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey and the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression tests were used to analyze the data. Results indicated no significant associations between being overweight or obese and the psychosocial outcomes of depression and suicidality among this population. However, there was a significant association between being overweight/ obese and substance (marijuana) use in this population (OR = 2.26, 95% CI = 1.11, 4.59), showing that overweight/obesity and substance (marijuana) use co-occur within this racial/ethnic and sexual minority. Understanding the extent to which overweight/obesity and marijuana use coexist in this population could add to the incomplete understanding of the epidemiology, mechanisms, and treatment of these conditions to develop new programs that help improve the quality of life for minority LGB individuals, which can also lead to positive social change for their families and communities.

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