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Gender conformity associated with higher BMI in boys
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Boys who self-reported strongly conforming to male gender expression were more likely to have a higher BMI than boys who considered themselves mostly gender conforming or nonconforming, according to research in Obesity.
“Pediatricians and other health professionals who work with youth need to be aware that pressures on boys, especially, to conform to unhealthy societal ideals of masculinity may be undermining their messages and programs to promote balanced nutrition and physical activity,” S. Bryn Austin, ScD, professor of pediatrics, division of adolescent and young adult medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, told Endocrine Today.
Austin and colleagues analyzed data from 9,671 children and young adults (6,693 girls and women) participating in the longitudinal Growing Up Today study, a cohort of children whose mothers took part in the Nurses’ Health Study II. Participants, who were aged 9 to 15 years at baseline, completed annual or biannual surveys between 1996 and 2011 on repeated measures of weight-related behaviors and BMI. Gender expression (defined as very conforming, mostly conforming or nonconforming) was assessed in 2010 and 2011. Researchers used sex-stratified, multivariable linear models to estimate gender expression group differences in BMI and the contribution of sexual orientation and weight-related exposures to group differences. Models for males included interaction terms for gender expression with age.
S. Bryn Austin
Within the cohort, 4,913 girls and 1,736 boys provided data at age 17 years; 41% of boys considered themselves very gender conforming, 55% mostly gender conforming and 4% gender nonconforming (mean BMI at age 17 years, 23.2 kg/m²). Among girls, 28% considered themselves very gender conforming; 65% mostly gender conforming and 7% gender nonconforming (mean BMI at age 17 years, 22 kg/m²).
Researchers found that girls who reported mostly gender conforming expression had a 0.53 kg/m² higher BMI than girls who were very gender conforming, whereas gender nonconformity was associated with a 1.23 kg/m² higher BMI. Adjusting for sexual orientation or weight-related behaviors resulted in virtually no change for the mostly gender conforming group and an 8% attenuation in the gender nonconforming group.
Among boys, those who considered themselves mostly gender conforming had a 0.67 kg/m² lower BMI than boys who were very gender conforming, with an additional 0.09 kg/m² reduction in relative BMI with each year of age. Gender nonconforming expression in boys was associated with a 1.99 kg/m² lower BMI vs. very gender conforming boys, with an additional 0.14 kg/m² reduction in relative BMI with each year of age. Adjusting for sexual orientation or weight-related behaviors resulted in 6% attenuation for the mostly gender conforming group and 11% attenuation for the nonconforming group.
“Researchers studying contributors to obesity must be aware of the powerful influence of gender norms on young people’s weight-related behaviors and, ultimately, their BMI,” Austin said. “For researchers designing preventive interventions, approaches need to target gender norms — particularly unhealthy standards of masculinity — that may be barriers to healthy weight and weight-related behaviors.” – by Regina Schaffer
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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