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Published on: May 8, 2018
Self-regulation and rapid weight gain in children from age 3 to 12 years
Lori A Francis1, Elizabeth J Susman
1Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA. lfrancis@psu.edu
Insights
Children with poor self-regulation skills in early childhood are more likely to experience rapid weight gain and higher BMI through adolescence. Early self-control may prevent childhood obesity.
Area of Science:
- Child development
- Pediatric obesity
- Behavioral science
Background:
- Self-regulation failure, the inability to control impulses, is linked to overweight.
- Understanding early predictors of weight gain is crucial for intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between behavioral self-regulatory capacities in early childhood and rapid weight gain up to adolescence.
- To determine if self-regulation predicts future body mass index (BMI) trajectories.
Main Methods:
- Prospective longitudinal cohort study of 1061 children across 10 US sites.
- Behavioral self-regulation assessed via self-control and delay of gratification tasks at ages 3 and 5.
- Body mass index (BMI) z scores measured at 6 points from age 3 to 12 years.
Main Results:
- Children with compromised self-regulation exhibited the highest BMI z scores and most rapid BMI z score increases over 9 years.
- High self-regulation at ages 3 and 5 was associated with lower BMI z scores and slower weight gain.
- Pubertal status influenced weight gain patterns in girls.
Conclusions:
- Early childhood self-regulation failure may predispose children to excessive weight gain.
- Behavioral interventions targeting self-regulation could help prevent pediatric obesity.
Objective:
To examine the extent to which self-regulatory capacities, measured behaviorally at ages 3 and 5 years, were linked to rapid weight gain in children from age 3 to 12 years. Self-regulation failure, or the inability to control an impulse or behavior, has been implicated as a mechanism in the development of overweight.
Design:
Prospective longitudinal cohort study.
Setting:
Home and laboratory-based settings in 10 sites across the United States.
Participants:
Data were drawn from 1061 children as part of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Main Exposure Self-regulatory capacity was measured in 2 behavioral protocols; children participated in a self-control procedure at age 3 years and a delay of gratification procedure at age 5 years.
Main Outcome Measures:
Age- and sex-specific body mass index (BMI) z scores were calculated based on measured BMI at 6 points.
Results:
Mixed-modeling analyses were used to examine differences in the rate of weight gain over time based on the extent to which children exhibited the ability to self-regulate in the behavioral procedures. Compared with children who showed high self-regulation in both behavioral protocols at ages 3 and 5 years, children who exhibited a compromised ability to self-regulate had the highest BMI z scores at each point and the most rapid gains in BMI z scores over the 9-year period. Effects of pubertal status were also noted for girls.
Conclusion:
Self-regulation failure in early childhood may predispose children to excessive weight gain through early adolescence.
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