Psychosocial influences on appetite and eating behavior

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute Of Child Health & Human Development

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Abstract

Current studies related to this project are described below. 1) Adolescent socioeconomic deprivation and perinatal complications Adverse experiences in childhood and adolescence, such as abuse and household dysfunction, have been linked to increased risk of developing perinatal complications like gestational diabetes. Additionally, socioeconomic deprivation experienced objectively (e.g., lack of money/respect/opportunities) or subjectively (perceptions of having less money/respect/opportunities compared to others) are associated with risk factors for cardiometabolic pregnancy complications including diet, physical activity, and obesity. However, the stressful experiences of objective and subjective socioeconomic deprivation in adolescence have not been explored as potential risk factors in developing these perinatal complications in adulthood. Therefore, this study aims to explore independent associations between objective and subjective SES in adolescence and later experience of gestational diabetes (GDM) and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), we are examining the relationships between adolescent SES conditions at Wave I (1994-1995, ages 12-16) and experiences of gestational diabetes or hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, eclampsia, or chronic hypertension predating pregnancy) by Wave V (2016-2018, ages 33-39). 2) Intergenerational socioeconomic mobility and health Changes in SES between childhood and adulthood, known as socioeconomic mobility, is thought to primarily impact adult health through changes in financial resources available to spend on healthy living in adulthood. However, changes in psychosocial experiences associated with moving between SES environments (i.e., stress, sense of control, perceptions of SES advantage/disadvantage) may also impact adult health, independent of childhood or adulthood SES. Using data from Add Health, this study seeks to investigate associations between socioeconomic mobility, adult eating behaviors (fast-food and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption) and adult metabolic health (body mass index BMI, metabolic syndrome). Changes in SES quintile between participants parents at Wave I (1994-1995, ages 12-20) and participants at Wave V (2016-2018, ages 33-43) will be used to create two measures of socioeconomic mobility: mobility direction and mobility magnitude. Mobility direction is defined as whether participants were immobile (attained the same SES quintile as their parents), upwardly mobile (achieved a higher SES quintile than their parents) or downwardly mobile (had a lower SES quintile than their parents). Mobility magnitude decomposed upward and downward mobility as short-range (participants attained a SES that was one quintile higher/lower than their parents) or long-range (participants SES was two to four quintiles higher/lower than their parents). With this approach, we will identify whether mobility direction and magnitude are associated with adult BMI and risk of metabolic syndrome, and whether this relationship between mobility and health are mediated by subjective SES (perceptions of ones own socioeconomic standing compared to others). 3) Interactions between objective and subjective socioeconomic status on body composition and eating behaviors of children Prior research has established that low objective SES (low financial resources/respect/education) and subjective SES (perception of having less financial resources/respect/education compared to others) are independently associated with poorer health outcomes and higher BMI. Yet it remains unclear how objective and subjective SES may interact to influence the health outcomes of children. This study aims to investigate the independent and joint contributions between objective SES of families and childrens subjective SES (based on perceptions of their familys relative SES standing) on body composition (BMI and body fat percentage) and eating behaviors. The analysis will be based on data from the Childrens Growth and Behavior Study, a longitudinal cohort study of children and adolescents in the Division of Intramural Research of NICHD. Notably, parents report of their childs hyperphagic behaviors (tendencies to be overly preoccupied, distracted and motivated by food) will be used to measure child eating behavior. 4) The role of sensitivity to ostracism on eating behaviors and BMI of children Childrens perceptions of disadvantage may be different from adults, who may rely more on indicators of relative socioeconomic standing. Children, on the other hand, may base their perceptions of disadvantage more on social standing, notably acceptance by peers. Social ostracism (being ignored or excluded by others) is a common experience of both adults and children. Prior research has suggested that experimental exposure to ostracism (versus inclusion by others) promotes increased consumption of palatable, high-calorie snack foods among children. One mechanism for this may be reliance on such foods as a source of comfort, distraction or regulation of the negative feelings and arousal produced by the stress of being excluded by others. But it remains unclear whether children who are especially sensitive to the effects of ostracism experience greater risk to their eating behaviors. We are investigating this question using a simulated ostracism event in the laboratory within the Growing up In Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) Study, a longitudinal birth cohort study. By exposing children (approximately 8.5 years old) to an experimental situation where they believe they are being ostracized by peers, we are testing whether sensitivity to ostracism measured physiologically (heart rate variability) and through self-report (ratings of emotions and feelings of threat) predict calories consumed in a subsequent snack and BMI measured at future study visits. This approach will provide insights into whether ostracism-induced snacking behaviors may be a mechanism through which poor quality of social relationships may contribute to the adiposity of children.