Identifying the relationship between biological, psychosocial and family markers associated with childhood obesity: Case-control "ANOBAS" study. (December 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sepulveda, Ana R.; Blanco, Miriam; Nova, Esther; Marcos, Ascension; Martínez, Sonia Gómez; Carrobles, José A.; Graell, Montserrat
• Is Part Of: Psychoneuroendocrinology. Volume 110(2019)
• Publication Date: 2019-12
• Subjects: Case-control study -- Obesity -- Leptin -- Psychosocial markers -- Family markers; Psychoneuroendocrinology -- Periodicals; Endocrinology -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Neuropsychoendocrinologie -- Périodiques; 616.8
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104428
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0306-4530

Abstract

Highlights: High percentage of DSM-IV diagnosis were found in children with obesity. Differences in leptin levels were found among OGND and NG children. No difference was found between the groups in the levels of cortisol and PYY. High levels of emotional over-involvement were in families with children with obesity. Results suggest the need to intervene in biological, psychosocial and familial factors in childhood obesity. Abstract: The recent increase in childhood obesity prevalence rates illustrates the extreme relevance of biological, psychosocial and familial factors implicated in body weight status, which at the moment remain unclear. The study aims to compare biological, psychosocial and familial markers between preadolescents with obesity and their non-overweight peers, and explore the relationship with psychiatric diagnosis on these markers. Both groups were composed of 40% of males with a mean age of 10 years, and no differences in socio-demographic variables were found between groups. No sex differences were found on bio/psycho/family markers. While 48% (n = 24) of the preadolescents with obesity presented a DSM-IV diagnosis (OGD), only 2% (n = 1) of the non-overweight peers (NG) met diagnostic criteria. Significant differences were found for all bio/psycho/family markers among obese preadolescents with the exceptions of cortisol, peptide YY and maternal state-anxiety and depression. The preadolescents with obesity without a diagnosis (OGND) presented greater levels of leptin than NG ( p = 0.01). For psychosocial markers, statistically significant differences were found between groups in the majority of the variables ( p < 0.01), with the exception of trait anxiety where a tendency towards significance was revealed ( p = 0.06). For family markers, we found statistically significant differences in emotional over-involvement ( p = 0.01), with NG mothers presenting lower scores than OGD and OGND. Include psychosocial and family factors in obesity intervention programs is necessary. Also, health professionals working with children with obesity must take care to assess the presence of a psychiatric diagnosis amongst this population.