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Relationship between impulsivity, snack consumption and children’s weight
Since being overweight during childhood has been linked with psychosocial and physical problems, Scholten et al. (2014) studied the role of personality traits in the development of overweight using the data on 1,377 parent-child dyads participating in the IVO Nutrition and Physical Activity Child cohorT (INPACT). This present study analyzed: the association between general impulsivity traits (reward sensitivity and disinhibition) with the children’s weight; the correlation between impulsivity traits and unhealthy snack consumption; and unhealthy snack consumption as a mediator of the interaction between impulsivity traits and children’s weight. As well as having their height and weight measured to calculate BMI z-scores, the children completed a door-opening task to assess reward sensitivity and completed a questionnaire to evaluate disinhibition, while the parents contributed to the study by completing a questionnaire regarding their children’s unhealthy snack intake. Linear regression analysis revealed that increased disinhibition correlated with greater unhealthy snack consumption (but not with BMI z-scores). The children’s reward sensitivity was not related to neither unhealthy snack consumption nor to BMI z-scores. Although unhealthy snack intake was not found to mediate the relationship between impulsivity traits and children’s weight, the researchers believe future studies on food-related impulsivity and general impulsivity may be vital in elucidating factors that affect children’s unhealthy snack consumption and weight.[NPID: personality, psychosocial problems, physical problems, impulsivity, impulsiveness, reward sensitivity, disinhibition, snacking, children’s weight]
Year: 2014
