Trait-level facets of impulsivity and momentary, naturalistic eating behavior in children and adolescents with overweight/obesity

Publication date: Available online 15 December 2018Source: Journal of Psychiatric ResearchAuthor(s): Andrea B. Goldschmidt, Kathryn E. Smith, Jason M. Lavender, Scott G. Engel, Alissa Haedt-MattAbstractImpulsivity, and specific subdomains of inhibitory control and reward sensitivity, are trait-level factors that have been implicated in the onset and maintenance of pediatric obesity and disordered eating, but their associations with real-world eating behavior are unknown. We investigated associations of these trait-level constructs with naturalistic, momentary measures of loss of control (LOC) eating and overeating severity in a heterogeneous sample of youth (n = 40), aged 8-14y, with overweight/obesity. Self-report, parent-report, and behavioral data on trait-level impulsivity, reward sensitivity, and inhibitory control, respectively, were collected in the context of a 14-day ecological momentary assessment (EMA) protocol in which participants reported on their eating behavior, mood, hunger, and palatability of foods consumed in real-time. Generalized estimating equations revealed that more perseverative errors on a behavioral measure of visuomotor processing speed and a lower self-reported tendency to act without thinking (at a trend level) were related to greater overall LOC severity. Momentary associations between negative affect and LOC severity were stronger among individuals with greater perseverative errors. Results suggest that trait-level facets of impulsivity ma...
Source: Journal of Psychiatric Research - Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research