Comparison of anxiety disorders between girls with overweight and normal weight

Childhood and adolescence obesity has become a hygiene and health problem in many developed and developing countries and in addition to physical problems can have many psychological consequences, including increases in anxiety level. Therefore, the aim of this research is comparison of anxiety disorders in girls with overweight and normal weight. This research design is causal-comparative. So, 140 elementary sixth grade female students in Thehran were selected through cluster sampling method. Participants were devided in to two groups (70 individuals with overweight and 70 individuals with normal weight) based on Body Mass Index (BMI) and responded to Spence Children Anxiety Scale (1998). The results of research showed that anxiety had significant difference between children with overweight and normal weight and among anxiety components, fear of crowd spaces, social anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder had significant difference between children with overweight and normal weight and separation anxiety, fear of physical damage and generalized anxiety had not significant difference between these two groups (p<0.05). According to research results, parents awareness about overweight and obesity consequences and providing prevention plans about obesity have special importance. Also, any on-time interventions and appropriate plannings are recommended in children health and hygiene domain.