Eating Behaviour Correlates in Children Referred to a Telehealth Program for Overweight and Obesity Treatment

Abstract

PURPOSE: To describe the relationships between emotional eating behaviours and demographic, anthropometric, and behavioural characteristics of children referred to a comprehensive telehealth program for the treatment of overweight and obesity. METHODS: Correlational analyses were conducted using baseline scores from self-reports on the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire for Children (DEBQ-C), the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ), the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire (GLTEQ), and physician-reported anthropometric/demographic measures obtained from referrals to the program. RESULTS: Data from girls (n = 20), age 8-17 yr, revealed a significant positive correlation between the Emotional Eating subscale of the DEBQ-C and DEBQ and age (r = 0.70, p = 0.0006), a non-significant negative correlation with standardized BMI score (r = -0.19, p = 0.4), and a significant negative correlation with total physical activity (r = -0.54, p = 0.01), as reported through the GLTEQ. Data from boys (n = 21), age 8-18 yr, revealed a significant positive correlation between the Emotional Eating subscale of the DEBQ-C and DEBQ and age (r = 0.62, p = 0.003), a non-significant negative correlation with standardized BMI score (r = -0.08, p = 0.7), and a significant negative correlation with total physical activity (r = -0.60, p = 0.004), as reported through the GLTEQ. CONCLUSION: In both boys and girls, emotional eating behaviors were reported to increase with age, decrease with higher levels of physical activity, and show no significant correlation with standardized BMI scores. This provides further evidence for the protective effect of physical activity in children. This research has important implications for the future treatment of children with overweight and obesity. Funding was provided by the Childhood Obesity Foundation and the Provincial Health Services Authority.