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Parent-rated behavior problems associated with overweight before and after controlling for sleep disordered breathing

Shelagh A Mulvaney1, Kristine L Kaemingk, James L Goodwin

  • 1School of Nursing and Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA. shelagh.mulvaney@vanderbilt.edu

BMC Pediatrics
|December 16, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Overweight children often exhibit withdrawal and social problems, even after accounting for sleep issues. These behavioral factors are crucial for designing effective interventions for childhood obesity.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Behavioral Science
  • Sleep Medicine

Background:

  • Behavioral interventions for overweight children are needed, but behavioral correlates are understudied in community samples.
  • This study investigated behavior problems in overweight versus normal-weight children, considering sleep disordered breathing.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the nature and prevalence of behavior problems in overweight school-aged children compared to normal-weight peers.
  • To assess the influence of sleep disordered breathing on these behavioral differences.

Main Methods:

  • 402 children (6-11 years) underwent anthropometric evaluation and behavioral ratings.
  • Overweight status was defined by CDC guidelines (≥95th percentile).
  • Behavior problems were assessed using Conners' Parent Rating Scales-Revised and Child Behavior Checklist; sleep disordered breathing was evaluated via polysomnography.

Main Results:

  • 15% of children were classified as overweight.
  • Overweight children showed higher rates of internalizing symptoms, psychosomatic complaints, withdrawal, and social problems.
  • Withdrawal and social problems remained significantly higher in overweight children after adjusting for sleep disordered breathing.

Conclusions:

  • Withdrawal and social problems are common in overweight children, independent of sleep disordered breathing.
  • These behavioral factors may moderate the effectiveness of behavioral treatments for childhood overweight.
  • Intervention and service design must account for these prevalent behavioral issues.
Abstract

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