Journal of pediatric health care : official publication of National Association of Pediatric Nurse Associates & Practitioners
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J Pediatr Health Care · Nov 2006
Mental health correlates of healthy lifestyle attitudes, beliefs, choices, and behaviors in overweight adolescents.
A tripling in the number of overweight adolescents has occurred during the past two decades, with type 2 diabetes reaching epidemic proportions. Although obesity has been identified as a correlate of depression and low self-esteem in adolescents, the relationships among key cognitive/mental health variables and healthy attitudes, beliefs, choices, and behaviors in overweight teens have yet to be explored. Therefore, the aim of this study was to describe these relationships so that an effective intervention program to promote and sustain healthy lifestyle behaviors could be implemented. ⋯ Including a strong cognitive behavioral skills building component into clinical interventions with overweight teens may be key in boosting their beliefs/confidence about being able to engage in healthy behaviors and lessening their perceived difficulty in performing them, which should result in healthier choices and lifestyle behaviors.