Two issues in the data analysis were specific to the second analysis stage. The first issue pertains to the inherently nonnormal distribution of categorical variables, for example, obesity. In fact, until recently, this distributional problem precluded the entry of categorical variables into structural equation models (Kupek, 2006). However, the version of the analysis program employed here does implement a solution. To provide reassurance, the structural equation models presented in Figure 2, below, were also tested with a continuous variable, BMI, substituted for the categorical variable, obesity. The findings from these alternative analyses were equivalent to the findings from the analyses of obesity. Therefore, only the results from the obesity analyses are reported.
