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  • Pediatric Original Article
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Association between impulsivity, reward responsiveness and body mass index in children

International Journal of Obesity volume 35, pages 1301–1307 (2011)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background:

Childhood obesity is a major health problem. An association between children's body mass index (BMI) and overeating has been established, but mechanisms leading to overeating are poorly understood. The personality characteristics impulsivity and reward responsiveness may be involved in the tendency to overeat. Impulsivity might relate to overeating through poor inhibition of food intake; reward responsiveness through the rewarding value of food.

Objective:

This study aimed to reveal the relationships between impulsivity, reward responsiveness, overeating and BMI in a sample of 346 Dutch children aged 6–13 years. The BMI distribution in the sample was representative of the BMI distribution in the Dutch pediatric population.

Methods:

Impulsivity and reward responsiveness were measured with the Dutch version of the parent-report Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire for children. Overeating was assessed with the Dutch translation of the parent-report Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire.

Results:

Overeating, impulsivity and reward responsiveness were significantly associated with childhood BMI. Mediation analysis revealed that impulsivity and reward responsiveness equally and significantly predicted BMI indirectly through overeating.

Conclusions:

The personality characteristics impulsivity and reward responsiveness predict childhood BMI indirectly through overeating. This suggests that these personality characteristics are risk factors for obesity.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Dutch Diabetes Research Foundation, grant #2007.11.032. We thank Professor Dr Peter Heutink for his contribution to the study design. We also thank Dr Esther Sleddens for providing us with the Dutch version of the CEBQ. We are very thankful to the schools and teachers who participated in our study, as well as the children and their parents for their effort and their enthusiasm. We want to express our gratitude to Professor Dr Jeanine Houwing, Irene Draisma, Anouk Nienhuis, Marlous Irschara, Esther van Nieuwenhuize and Ms Vermeulen for statistical and practical assistance.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

    L van den Berg, K Pieterse & H A Delemarre-van de Waal

  2. Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

    L van den Berg & K Willems van Dijk

  3. Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    K Pieterse, M Luman & J Oosterlaan

  4. Department of Developmental Psychology, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    J A Malik

  5. Department of General Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

    K Willems van Dijk

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  1. L van den Berg
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  2. K Pieterse
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  4. M Luman
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Correspondence to L van den Berg.

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Supplementary Information accompanies the paper on International Journal of Obesity website

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van den Berg, L., Pieterse, K., Malik, J. et al. Association between impulsivity, reward responsiveness and body mass index in children. Int J Obes 35, 1301–1307 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2011.116

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