Scientific findings

Increased physical activity has a positive effect on self-perception in girls and boys.

Stein C, Fisher L, Berkey C, Colditz G. Adolescent physical activity and perceived competence: does change in activity level impact self-perception? J Adolesc Health 2007; 40:462-70.

Participants who frequently ate dinner with their families were less likely to be overweight.

Taveras EM, Rifas-Shiman SL, Berkey CS, Rockett HR, Field AE, Frazier AL, Colditz GA, Gillman MW. Family dinner and adolescent overweight. Obesity Research 2005; 13:900-906.

Time spent with TV, videos, and videogames is linked to weight gain.

Berkey CS, Rockett HR, Field AE, Gillman MW, Frazier AL, Camargo CA, Colditz GA. Activity, dietary intake, and weight changes in a longitudinal study of preadolescent and adolescent boys and girls. Pediatrics 2000; 105: e56.

Being breastfed may lower adolescent overweight risk.

Gillman MW, Rifas-Shiman SL, Camargo CA, Berkey CS, Frazier AL, Rockett HRH, Field AE, Colditz GA. Risk of overweight among adolescents who had been breast fed as infants. AMA 285 (19) 2001: 2461–2467.

Moms’ gestational diabetes increased adolescents’ obesity risk.

Sonneville KR, Gordon CM, Kocher MS, Pierce LM, Ramappa A, Field AE. Vitamin D, but not calcium, is associated with reduced stress fractures among female adolescents. Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine 2012 (in press).

More Vitamin D lowered adolescent females’ risk of stress fractures.

Gillman MW, Rifas-Shiman S, Berkey CS, Field AE, Colditz GA. Maternal diabetes, birth weight, and adolescent obesity. Pediatrics 111 (3) 2003: 221–226

Girls born Sept.-Nov. were more likely to develop disordered eating.

Javaras KN, Austin SB, Field AE. Season of birth and disordered eating in a population-based sample of young U.S. females. International Journal of Eating Disorders 2011 44(7):630-8.

Females with depressive symptoms were more likely to overeat/binge.

Skinner HH, Haines J, Austin SB, Field AE. A prospective study of overeating, binge eating, and depressive symptoms among adolescent and young-adult women. Journal of Adolescent Health 2011 (in press).

Sexual minority women weren’t getting routine reproductive health screenings.

Charlton BM, Corliss HL, Missmer SA, Frazier AL, Rosario M, Kahn JA, Austin SB. Reproductive health screening disparities and sexual orientation in a cohort study of U.S. adolescent and young adult females. Journal of Adolescent Health 2011 49(5): 505-10.

GUTS is a collaborative study between clinicians, researchers, and thousands of participants across the US and beyond. It aims to gain a deeper understanding of the factors that affect health throughout life.

Notes from the study team

April 2013

Dr. Stacey Missmer updates you from the data coding room!

Whether you've spent the last week...

. . . training for a triathlon or eating takeout and watching TV, your experience—whatever it is—provides a richness of data that’s one of the most powerful tools we have for fighting cancer, obesity, heart disease, depression, and other health challenges.

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