612 - Relationship Between Early Childhood Appetite Traits and Childhood Obesity in a Low-Income Hispanic Population

Poster Number: 612
Publication Number: 612.3192

Background: Research suggests early childhood appetite traits are related to childhood weight, however there is limited research on appetite traits in low-income, Hispanic families, who have a higher prevalence of childhood obesity compared to non-Hispanic white families.

Objective: To examine the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between parent-reported child appetite traits and weight at ages 4 and 5 years (Y) old in low-income Hispanic mother-child pairs.

Design/Methods: We conducted cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses examining associations between appetite traits and weight from the Starting Early Program randomized controlled trial (n=533 enrolled in pregnancy), a primary care-based child obesity prevention program for low-income Hispanic mother-child pairs. Child appetite traits at age 4Y were measured using the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ), which assesses appetite using eight subscales: “Food approach” traits include food responsiveness, enjoyment of food, emotional overeating, desire to drink; “food avoidance” traits include satiety responsiveness, slowness in eating, emotional undereating, fussiness. We used weight for age standardized scores (WFAz) and 95th percentiles (obesity) calculated using CDC standards at ages 4 and 5Y. Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted adjusting for intervention status, child sex, and maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, parity, education, and nativity.

Results: Sample characteristics of 231 mother-child dyads are presented in Table 1. At 4Y, mean WFAz was 0.58 and 16% had obesity. At 5Y, mean WFAz was 0.60 and 17.7% had obesity. Subscales of child appetite traits at 4Y were uniquely associated with WFAz and weight status at 4 and 5Y (Table 3). Food approach traits of food responsiveness and enjoyment of food were positively associated with both WFAz and increased risk of obesity at 4 and 5Y. Food avoidant traits of slowness in eating and satiety responsiveness were negatively associated with WFAz and decreased risk of obesity at 4 and 5Y. Emotional undereating was negatively associated with WFAz at 5Y and was not associated with obesity at either age.

Conclusion(s): Food approach traits identified in early childhood predict higher weight and risk for obesity, while food avoidant traits are protective. Ways to identify children at higher risk of excess weight gain and obesity are crucial for designing effective early interventions and prevention strategies to mitigate the risk of future obesity. These findings highlight the need for tailored interventions that consider individual appetite profiles to address childhood obesity.