Bullying and anxiety/depressive symptoms in Latinx adolescents living with obesity: the mediating role of self-esteem

Abstract

Bullying is a serious public health issue for adolescents in the United States. Previous studies have demonstrated associations between self-esteem, anxiety/depressive symptoms, and bullying victimization (BV); however, these relationships have not been extensively studied considering the overlap of social identities of Latinx adolescents living with obesity and overweight (LAWO), who are more likely to be victims of bullying. The current study aims to address these gaps by examining the relationship between BV and anxiety/depressive symptoms and the role of self-esteem while considering sex differences among LAWO (N = 139; female: n = 77, 55.4%; mean age = 12.9 years). Results for overall group showed that BV significantly predicted anxiety/depressive symptoms and self-esteem significantly mediated this relationship. Multigroup mediation analysis resulted in significant mediation by self-esteem for females. Results suggest that interventions that target self-esteem and consider culture would be beneficial for female LAWO.