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Associations of reward sensitivity with food consumption, activity pattern, and BMI in children

Annelies De Decker1, Isabelle Sioen1, Sandra Verbeken2

  • 1Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Public Health, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185 UZ 4K3, 9000 Gent, Belgium.

Appetite
|February 23, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Children with high reward sensitivity show increased consumption of fast food and sweet drinks, contributing to a higher body mass index. Understanding reward sensitivity is key for childhood obesity prevention strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Childhood obesity research
  • Behavioral science
  • Public health nutrition

Background:

  • Childhood overweight and obesity are significant public health concerns.
  • Understanding the behavioral determinants of weight gain in children is crucial for effective prevention.
  • Reward sensitivity, a trait influencing motivation and goal-directed behavior, may play a role in children's eating habits and weight status.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the associations between reward sensitivity and weight-related behaviors (food consumption, screen time, physical activity) in a general population sample of children.
  • To examine the relationship between reward sensitivity and body mass index (BMI) in children.
  • To determine if reward sensitivity explains additional variance in BMI beyond established behavioral and socioeconomic factors.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 443 Flemish children aged 5.5-12 years.
  • Reward sensitivity was measured using the Drive subscale of the 'Behavioral Inhibition Scale/Behavioral Activation Scale'.
  • Data collected included palatable food consumption frequency, screen time, physical activity, parental education, and measured height and weight (used to calculate BMI z-scores).

Main Results:

  • A significant positive association was found between reward sensitivity and the frequency of consuming fast food and sweet drinks.
  • Reward sensitivity was also positively associated with BMI z-scores, explaining additional variance beyond food consumption, screen time, physical activity, and parental education.
  • Children high in reward sensitivity demonstrated a greater vulnerability to developing unfavorable food habits and overweight.

Conclusions:

  • Reward sensitivity is a significant factor associated with weight-related behaviors and BMI in children.
  • Assessing reward sensitivity may provide added value in identifying children at risk for overweight.
  • Inter-individual differences in reward sensitivity should be considered in future childhood obesity prevention campaigns.

Keywords:
Body mass indexChildOverweightPalatable foodReward sensitivity

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