Primary Submission Category: Health behaviors
Childhood Obesity and Its Effects on Civic Participation in Early Adulthood
Authors: Nishat Tasnim koli Brandon Wagner
Presenting Author: Nishat Tasnim koli*
The prevalence of childhood obesity has increased rapidly in many parts of the world and is now considered a severe public health issue in many settings because of the resulting increase in cardiovascular risk, diabetes and mortality in adulthood. Childhood obesity also has adverse social and psychological ramifications, including teasing, bullying, discrimination, body shaming, isolation. These social consequences of childhood obesity may result in individuals being social excluded or having problems with social integration. As a result, childhood obesity may affect civic participation such as volunteering, neighboring, group and religious involvement, voting behavior and political participation. By focusing on both the predictors of childhood obesity and civic participation which lead to the social exclusion, this paper will explore whether the overweight problem in childhood affects civic participation in early adulthood. To answer this question, the study uses data from waves 1-4 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). This paper concludes with a consideration of increasing civic involvement by minimizing childhood obesity related threats that result in social exclusion.