Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-8-2023
Abstract
Background
Effortful control, or the regulation of thoughts and behaviour, is a potential target for preventing childhood obesity.
Objectives
To assess effortful control in infancy through late childhood as a predictor of repeated measures of body mass index (BMI) from infancy through adolescence, and to examine whether sex moderates the associations.
Methods
Maternal report of offspring effortful control and measurements of child BMI were obtained at 7 and 8 time points respectively from 191 gestational parent/child dyads from infancy through adolescence. General linear mixed models were used.
Results
Effortful control at 6 months predicted BMI trajectories from infancy through adolescence, F(5,338) = 2.75, p = 0.03. Further, when effortful control at other timepoints were included in the model, they added no additional explanatory value. Sex moderated the association between 6-month effortful control and BMI, F(4, 338) = 2.59, p = 0.03, with poorer infant effortful control predicting higher BMI in early childhood for girls, and more rapid increases in BMI in early adolescence for boys.
Conclusions
Effortful control in infancy was associated with BMI over time. Specifically, poor effortful control during infancy was associated with higher BMI in childhood and adolescence. These findings support the argument that infancy may be a sensitive window for the development of later obesity.
Recommended Citation
Deer, L. K., Doom, J. R., Harrall, K. K., Glueck, D. H., Glynn, L. M., Sandman, C. A., & Davis, E. P. (2023). Infant effortful control predicts BMI trajectories from infancy to adolescence. Pediatric Obesity, 18(9), e13059. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijpo.13059
Copyright
Wiley
Included in
Behavioral Disciplines and Activities Commons, Child Psychology Commons, Health Psychology Commons, Other Psychiatry and Psychology Commons, Pediatrics Commons, Psychological Phenomena and Processes Commons
Comments
This is the accepted version of the following article:
Deer, L. K., Doom, J. R., Harrall, K. K., Glueck, D. H., Glynn, L. M., Sandman, C. A., & Davis, E. P. (2023). Infant effortful control predicts BMI trajectories from infancy to adolescence. Pediatric Obesity, 18(9), e13059. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijpo.13059
which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/ijpo.13059. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.