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Anxiety

Longitudinal Associations between Weight Self-Stigma, Physical Exercise, and Social Anxiety among Adolescents

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Investigators from the Wuhan University of Technology have conducted a significant study on the complex relationship between weight self-stigma, physical exercise, and social anxiety among adolescents. The research, presented in the Psychiatric Quarterly journal, employed a three-wave longitudinal design with 637 Chinese adolescents aged 12-18. The study aimed to understand how these factors influence each other over time, and the potential mediating role of physical exercise, particularly in relation to gender differences.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that weight self-stigma positively correlated with social anxiety among adolescents (b = 0.59, p < 0.05).
  • Physical exercise was found to disrupt the reciprocal reinforcement between weight self-stigma and social anxiety in Chinese adolescents.
  • The research highlighted the potential of physical activity as a gender-inclusive intervention target to address body image-related distress.
  • The study controlled for age and self-weight perception, using the Weight Self-Stigma Scale, Adolescent Social Anxiety Scale, and Physical Activity Rating Scale.
  • The research employed the Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model (RI-CLPM) to examine associations among weight self-stigma, physical exercise, and social anxiety.

Statistics:

  • 637 Chinese adolescents participated in the study (aged 12-18, M = 15.29 years).
  • 283 males and 354 females were part of the research.
  • The study used a three-wave longitudinal design with 93-month intervals.
  • The correlations between weight self-stigma and social anxiety showed a significant positive relationship (b = 0.59, p < 0.05).

Sources:

  • Longitudinal Associations between Weight Self-Stigma, Physical Exercise, and Social Anxiety among Adolescents: Between-and Within-Person Effects. Psychiatric Quarterly, 2025.
  • Wuhan University of Technology. (2025). Reports from Wuhan University of Technology Provide New Insights into Anxiety Disorders (Longitudinal Associations between Weight Self-Stigma, Physical Exercise, and Social Anxiety among Adolescents: Between-and Within-Person Effects).
  • Mental Health Weekly Digest. October 20, 2025; p 793.

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