Interaction of emotional reactivity, weight status and ethnicity in adolescence: Policy discussions for comprehensive wellness curriculum

Introduction:

Adolescence is a rich period for development in resiliency, including emotional reactivity to surroundings. Environmental factors, family/peer influence, ethnicity and physicality may influence this type of responsiveness. Race and weight status are utilized to examine three aspects of emotional reactivity – sensitivity, recovery and impairment – that were assessed during a comprehensive wellness program for adolescents.

Methods:

Female sixth grade students (N=223) were recruited from three metropolitan areas to participate in a study piloting a school-based comprehensive wellness curriculum. Ethnicity, heights/weights and emotional reactivity scores (RSCA) were collected at baseline and post-curriculum. Paired t-tests were used to assess changes in students' emotional reactivity scores. Interaction effects between race and weight status on the three scores were evaluated.

Results:

Significant increases in impairment (p<.001), sensitivity (p=.007) and overall emotional reactivity (p=.002) were found following curriculum implementation. Weight status was positively correlated with sensitivity (p=.025) while race was related to recovery (p=.009). No significant interaction effects were found.

Discussion/Conclusion:

Increased weight status leads to increased sensitivity during a pubertal period where weight gain is common in females. Protective factors in the curriculum should be strengthened to moderate emotional arousal that may lead to poor decision-making. The impact of race on recovery shows a cultural influence on the ability to recover from sensitivity/impairment and avoid poor decision-making. The overall increase in emotional reactivity here aligns with prior literature indicating significant increases during puberty. This may not be protected by a single dose of curriculum but improved through policy changes for long-term wellness intervention.