Perceived social support and healthy eating self-efficacy on the well-being of children and adolescents

Abstract

Background: Unhealthy eating habits in children and adolescents and low personal judgment of efficacy in maintaining healthy eating behaviors have negative repercussions for health. These negative effects can have a differential affectation associated with psychosocial factors. Objectives/Method: The objectives were: to validate the Weight Efficacy Lifestyle (WEL) Questionnaire for Spanish children and adolescents; to analyze the relationship between well-being, socioeconomic level, body mass index, age, academic distress, social support for healthy and unhealthy eating, and self-efficacy; and to develop an explanatory model of well-being in children and adolescents based on their eating behaviors and other psychosocial behaviors. Results: Data were obtained from 299 children and adolescents (58.5% girls) aged from 9 to 18 years old (Mage = 12.92 years, SD = 2.74). Preliminary analysis showed adequate psychometric properties and results showed that perceived well-being was associated with lower academic distress and parent and peer social support for unhealthy eating, and with a better eating self-efficacy, parent support for healthy eating, and general weight management self-efficacy. Conclusions: Therefore, fostering confidence in children and adolescents about their weight management selfefficacy judgments may influence well-being, reduce body mass index, and prevent overweight and obesity.