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Exploring the relationship of dietary intake with inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, beyond ADHD
The purpose of this study by Dalnoki et al. (2025) is to investigate the association between food consumption and the diagnosis of ADHD in teenagers, as well as its many characteristics. Data came from the KOALA Birth Cohort Study, which included 810 teenagers between the ages of 16 and 20 who answered a meal frequency questionnaire and disclosed their ADHD diagnosis. The Conners’ Parent Rating Scale—Revised Short form and the Temperament in Middle Childhood Questionnaire’s Impulsivity subscale were used by parents to report signs of ADHD. Analysis of the results revealed that, when compared to adolescents without ADHD, adolescents with ADHD (n = 80) were more likely to score higher on the snacking eating pattern. But when it came to the Healthy, Animal-based, Sweet, and Beverage eating patterns, there were no appreciable changes across the groups. Increased snacking was positively correlated with all ADHD symptom ratings, including hyperactivity, inattention, impulsivity, and ADHD-index. Impulsivity was negatively correlated with the Sweet dietary pattern and positively with the Beverage dietary pattern. These findings emphasize the importance of considering the different dimensions of ADHD, not just the diagnosis when examining adolescents’ dietary patterns. [NPID: ADHD, dietary intake, adolescents, dietary patterns, snacking, impulsivity, hyperactivity, inattention]
Year: 2025
