Association between weight status and bullying experiences among children and adolescents in schools: An updated meta-analysis

Abstract

Background: The association between weight status and bullying experience is well established, but little is known about the association between overweight or obesity and bullying behaviors among children and adolescents.

Objective: The aim of this study was to provide updated evidence on the association between weight status and exposure to bullying among school children and adolescents.

Methods: All literature published not later than December 12, 2019 was obtained from PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and PsycINFO databases. The odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were used to measure the effect size. Results were combined using random-effects or fixed-effects meta-analysis, and sensitivity analysis was conducted to explore potential heterogeneity moderator factors.

Results: This meta-analysis included 26 studies on the association between obesity overweight and bullying. Overall, children and adolescents with obesity had greater odds of experiencing bullying than their counterparts with healthy weight. Children and adolescents with obesity (OR = 1.46, 95 % CI:1.31-1.62), and overweight (OR = 1.24, 95 % CI: 1.17-1.32) were more likely to experience bullying than their normal weight peers. With regards to gender, boys with obesity experienced an increased risk of bullying behaviors than girls with obesity (OR = 1.40, 95 % CI: 1.30-1.50). Similarly, boys with overweight experienced an increased risk of bullying behaviors than girls with overweight (OR = 1.19, 95 % CI:1.06-1.34).

Conclusions: The present results suggest that children and adolescents must be protected from bullying, especially those that are children and adolescents with obesity overweight and effective strategies are needed to reduce bullying behaviors among children and adolescents in schools.

Keywords: Bullying experiences; Weight status; meta-analysis.