Eating patterns, weight status and egogram characteristics among Japanese pupils

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Nutritional Science
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Eating patterns and psychological characteristics are crucial for child development.
• Understanding the link between eating habits, weight status, and personality traits in children is important for public health.
• Previous research has explored these connections, but a comprehensive analysis in a Japanese elementary school population was needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate eating patterns and their relationship with overweightness and egogram characteristics in elementary school pupils.
• To identify specific egogram patterns associated with different eating behaviors and weight classifications.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 871 elementary school pupils (grades 4-6) in Japan.
• Classification of pupils into five weight groups: lean, standard, slightly obese, moderately obese, and extremely obese.
• Assessment of eating patterns via questionnaires and measurement of egogram characteristics using the AN-egogram.

Main Results:

• Pupils with lower Adult (A) and higher Free Child (FC) ego states, and a Nurturing Parent (NP)-low egogram pattern, tended to eat favorite foods even when full or engage in substitutive eating.
• Eating between meals was associated with distinct ego states (CP, NP, A, FC), with 'empty stomach' eating linked to a flat type and 'just meal time' eating to an A-dominant type.
• The extremely obese group showed significantly less A ego state compared to the lean group.
• Lean, standard, and slightly obese groups exhibited an A-dominant egogram pattern, while moderately and extremely obese groups showed an AC-dominant pattern with slightly high CP.

Conclusions:

• Egogram characteristics and specific ego states are significantly associated with eating patterns and degree of overweightness in elementary school pupils.
• The findings suggest that psychological factors, as measured by egogram analysis, play a role in the development of unhealthy eating behaviors and obesity.
• Interventions targeting psychological aspects of eating behavior may be beneficial for weight management in children.