Emotional Eating, Health Behaviours, and Obesity in Children: A 12-Country Cross-Sectional Study.

Nutrients. 2019;11(2)
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Childhood obesity rates are high in both developed and developing countries. The most important contributors are the increased availability of energy-dense foods and a reduced need for physical activity. The aim of the study was to examine the association between self-reported emotional eating, health behaviours and body mass index in 9 to 11-year-old children. The study is a secondary analysis of the International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and Environment. The cross-sectional sample included 5,426 children with an age range between 9 to 11-year-olds. Results indicate a positive association between emotional eating and an unhealthy diet pattern, which was consistent in all 12 different study sites. Authors conclude that the association between emotional eating and an unhealthy eating pattern is not restricted to Western countries and their cultural and food environments.

Abstract

Eating in response to negative emotions (emotional eating, EE) may predispose an individual to obesity. Yet, it is not well known how EE in children is associated with body mass index (BMI) and health behaviours (i.e., diet, physical activity, sleep, and TV-viewing). In the present study, we examined these associations in a cross-sectional sample of 5426 (54% girls) 9⁻11-year-old children from 12 countries and five continents. EE, food consumption, and TV-viewing were measured using self-administered questionnaires, and physical activity and nocturnal sleep duration were measured with accelerometers. BMI was calculated using measured weights and heights. EE factor scores were computed using confirmatory factor analysis, and dietary patterns were identified using principal components analysis. The associations of EE with health behaviours and BMI z-scores were analyzed using multilevel models including age, gender, and household income as covariates. EE was positively and consistently (across 12 study sites) associated with an unhealthy dietary pattern (β = 0.29, SE = 0.02, p < 0.0001), suggesting that the association is not restricted to Western countries. Positive associations between EE and physical activity and TV viewing were not consistent across sites. Results tended to be similar in boys and girls. EE was unrelated to BMI in this sample, but prospective studies are needed to determine whether higher EE in children predicts the development of undesirable dietary patterns and obesity over time.

Lifestyle medicine

Fundamental Clinical Imbalances : Neurological
Patient Centred Factors : Triggers/Eating behaviour
Environmental Inputs : Diet ; Nutrients ; Physical exercise
Personal Lifestyle Factors : Nutrition ; Exercise and movement
Functional Laboratory Testing : Not applicable

Methodological quality

Allocation concealment : Not applicable
Publication Type : Journal Article ; Multicenter Study

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