Abstract
Eating in the absence of hunger (EAH), a measure of children's propensity to eat beyond satiety in the presence of highly palatable food, has been associated with childhood obesity and later binge eating behavior. The EAH task is typically conducted in a research laboratory setting, which is resource intensive and lacks ecological validity. Assessing EAH in a group classroom setting is feasible and may be a more efficient alternative, but the validity of the classroom assessment against the traditional individually-administered paradigm has not been tested. The objective of this study was to compare EAH measured in a classroom setting to the one-on-one version of the paradigm in a sample of Head Start preschoolers. Children (n = 35) from three classrooms completed both classroom and individual EAH tasks in a random, counterbalanced order. In the group condition, children sat with peers at their classroom lunch tables; in the individual condition, children met individually with a researcher in a separate area near their classroom. In both conditions, following a meal, children were provided free access to generous portions of six snack foods (~750 kcal) and a selection of toys for 7 min. Snacks were pre- and post-weighed to calculate intake. Parents completed a survey of their child's eating behaviors, and child height and weight were measured. Paired t-tests and intraclass correlation coefficients were used to compare energy intake between conditions, and correlations between EAH intake and child BMI, eating behaviors, and parent feeding practices were examined to evaluate concurrent validity. Average intake was 63.0 ± 50.4 kcal in the classroom setting and 53.7 ± 44.6 in the individual setting, with no significant difference between settings. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.57, indicating moderate agreement between conditions. Overall, the EAH protocol appears to perform similarly in classroom and individual settings, suggesting the classroom protocol is a valid alternative. Future studies should further examine the role of age, sex, and weight status on eating behavior measurement paradigms.
Highlights
Eating in the absence of hunger (EAH) measures the propensity to eat beyond satiety in response to the presence of highly palatable foods [1]
Consistent with Head Start eligibility, families were lower income, with approximately two-thirds participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and a quarter of households were classified as food insecure
Prior to the classroom EAH session, 6% of children consumed all of what they were initially served at their Head Startprovided meal, 60% consumed more than half, 26% consumed less than half, 6% consumed nothing, and 1 child (3%) had missing data due to observer error
Summary
Eating in the absence of hunger (EAH) measures the propensity to eat beyond satiety in response to the presence of highly palatable foods [1]. EAH intake is a measure of hedonic eating (eating for pleasure, as opposed to homeostatic eating or in response to energy needs) [2] and is assumed to be an individual characteristic reflecting poorer appetite self-regulation. The underlying mechanisms that determine a child’s tendency to engage in EAH are not well established, but may involve increased sensitivity and reactivity to food cues (i.e., “bottomup” approach responses), and/or reduced capacity to self-regulate and inhibit such responses (i.e., “top-down” regulatory strategies) [3]. Children with poorer ability to recognize internal satiety cues may be at increased risk for EAH. Children who exhibit high EAH are susceptible to excess energy intake in the current environment in which highly palatable foods are readily available. Preventing increases in EAH early in life, especially among susceptible children, is an important target for obesity prevention
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
