ReviewInfluence of peers and friends on children's and adolescents' eating and activity behaviors
Highlights
► Dearth of theoretical work on social determinants of eating and activities. ► Peers/friends facilitate intake, except when social-evaluative concerns are high. ► Positive peer relationships foster involvement in physical activity. ► Aloneness and peer difficulties deter youth from being physically active.
Section snippets
Peer influences on eating and physical activity during childhood and adolescence
Research on the effects of peer influence on youths' eating and physical activity has been proliferating over the last decade. Although this work has generated evidence demonstrating that peers, friends, and broader social networks influence eating and physical activity during childhood and adolescence, the research conducted has been largely atheoretical. This is especially true for the research on peers and physical activity. Thus, we first review three theoretical mechanisms, and supporting
Social facilitation of eating and activities
In its earliest conceptualization, social facilitation theory described an increase in performance as a result of the presence of others [37]. Most recently, it has been argued that it is the evaluation [38], [39], [40] or the degree of cognitive overload [41] that occurs when in the company of others that serves as a source of arousal, subsequently leading to impaired performance on complex or difficult tasks [42], [43]. In its application to eating and physical activity research, social
Modeling of eating and physical activity
Whereas most social facilitation studies focus on the ways in which the presence of others impacts behavior, researchers have also argued that people directly adjust their behavior to that of others. This process is often referred to as social modeling by Bandura and other social learning theorists (e.g., [86]), who view this as a cognitive process whereby individuals form beliefs and attitudes about the behaviors they observe in others, which in turn shapes their own behavior.
Impression management on eating and physical activity
While studies on social facilitation and modeling generally describe changes in individuals' behaviors when in the presence of others, impression management studies seek to explain individuals' motivations to behave when in the company of others [29]. The general idea is that individuals consciously or unconsciously attempt to control the impressions that other people form by regulating information and their self-presentation [111].
Eating
The literatures reviewed above clearly show that peers impact eating and physical activity during childhood and adolescence, but also demonstrate that they are complex and that the direction of the influence (i.e. increase vs. decrease) depends on a variety of factors (e.g., nature of the relationship with the companion, what that companion is doing). In an attempt to achieve some integration between the three explanatory mechanisms of social influences of eating, Herman and his colleagues [29]
Conclusions, implications, and future research
This review provides a brief overview of the research on peer influences on children and adolescents' eating and physical activity. There is no question that peers and friends impact eating and physical activity. However, understanding how peers and friends influence youths' eating and activity behavior is essential to most effectively translate knowledge into efficacious prevention and intervention efforts. This review reveals some clear patterns delineating when and how impact eating peers
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