Emotional/behavioral difficulties and adolescent obesity: effect of sex and Hispanic origin/race.

This study examines the relationship between emotional/behavioral difficulties and obesity among US adolescents aged 12-17 using parent-reported data for 11,042 adolescents in the National Health Interview Survey. Obesity was defined as body mass index (BMI) ≥sex/age-specific 95th percentile BMI cut-points from the 2000 CDC Growth Charts. Types of emotional/behavioral difficulties were identified using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Among females, emotional/behavioral difficulties were associated with obesity among non-Hispanic (NH) white and Hispanic adolescents (both those with interviews in English and interviews in Spanish). Among males, emotional/behavioral difficulties were associated with obesity among NH white adolescents and Hispanic males with interviews in English. No association between any difficulties and obesity was found among NH black adolescents, either male or female, or Hispanic males with interviews in Spanish. Awareness of the differing association between emotional/behavioral difficulties and obesity among subgroups of adolescents may aid in the development of targeted obesity interventions.