Influence of body mass index on mindfulness awareness and coping methods for stress in adolescents.

Objective: Psychological state may affect the body weight through the hypothalamus and vice versa. The goal of this study is to investigate whether body mass index affect mindfulness awareness (MA) levels and type of coping with stress.

Methods: Healthy adolescents were included in the study. The mindfulness attention awareness scale (MAAS), indicating the ways of coping checklist inventory was performed and body mass index (BMI) (kg/m2) of adolescents were calculated. The influence of BMI on MA and ways of coping with stress was tested. According to BMI percentiles the study population was grouped as obese (including overweight), normal-weighted and underweight.

Results: A total of 270 adolescents (mean age: 13.63±2.07 years; 165 female/105 male) participated in the study. No significant correlation was found between BMI and MA scores (r=-0.085; p=0.161) and coping strategies were not different between the groups. When MA scores are compared with stress coping methods, it appeares that participants with high awareness levels chose positive coping styles.

Conclusion: BMI is not effective on MA levels and choice of stress coping methods. But the higher MA levels are associated with positive coping styles.