Associations between BMI, body size perception, and dropout from upper secondary education: A prospective cohort study of 15–19-year-old adolescents

Low and high BMI, as well as the perception of not being the right size, were associated with higher odds of dropout from upper secondary education. Adjusted for body size perception, the association between BMI and dropout attenuated, suggesting that body size perception plays a crucial role in this relationship. Body size perception partly explains the BMI-dropout relationship, highlighting a need for more comprehensive approaches focusing adolescents' perceptions of their bodies alongside actual weight to reduce school dropout.