Amy J. Fahrenkamp

Physical and mental health outcomes associated with prior food insecurity among young adults

Following a biopsychosocial model of food insecurity, this study examined differences in physical health and mental health outcomes among young adults (N = 98) with and without a history of food insecurity. Young adults with a history of food insecurity had higher average levels of body mass index, waist-to-height ratio, depressive symptoms, stress, and disordered eating scores than individuals with no history of food insecurity. No differences were found with symptoms of anxiety. Future research should examine interventions targeted at decreasing negative mental health outcomes and risk for overweight among young adults who have experienced food insecurity.

Does Social Support Buffer the Association Between Stress Eating and Weight Gain During the Transition to College? Differences by Gender

This study sought to examine whether social support moderates the relationship between stress eating and body mass index (BMI) change over the freshman year in males and females. This longitudinal study included 70 college students (72.9% female; M age = 18.23) who completed self-reported measures of stress eating and perceived social support, with objective height and weight measurements collected. Among males, social support moderated the relationship between stress eating and BMI change. Among males, social support may serve as a buffer against the impact of stress eating on weight gain during the freshman year of college.

Predictors of Emotional Eating during Adolescents' Transition to College: Does Body Mass Index Moderate the Association between Stress and Emotional Eating?.

Abstract Objective: This study sought to (1) examine perceived stress and resources to cope with stress as predictors of emotional eating during the transition to college and (2) determine whether body mass index (BMI) moderated the emotional eating-stress relationship. Participants: Participants were 97 college freshmen (73% female; BMI: M = 25.3 kg/m2, SD = 5.7 kg/m2). Research was conducted in September 2012. Methods: Participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale, Emotional Eating Scale, and Eating and Appraisal Due to Emotions and Stress Questionnaire during the first month of college. Height and weight were measured objectively. Results: BMI moderated the relationship between perceived stress and emotional eating. Higher stress predicted greater emotional eating for the lower BMI groups, but not the highest group. Greater resources to cope with stress predicted lower emotional eating. Conclusions: Greater perceived stress and poorer resources to cope with stress may contribute to emotional eating during the transition to college. The relationship between perceived stress and emotional eating may vary by BMI.

From Bench to Bedside: Understanding Stress-Obesity Research Within the Context of Translation to Improve Pediatric Behavioral Weight Management

A growing body of literature suggests that stress, including chronic stress and acute physiologic stress reactivity, is one contributor to the development and maintenance of obesity in youth. Little has been done to apply the literature on stress and obesity risk to inform the development of pediatric behavioral weight control (BWC) interventions. The aims of this review are to (1) discuss research linking stress and pediatric obesity, (2) provide examples of the implications of the stress-obesity research for pediatric BWC development, and (3) propose that a mindfulness-based approach may be useful in targeting stress reduction within pediatric BWC.

Parent psychopathology as a mediator of the relationship between anxiety and sleep problems in children.

INTRODUCTION Sleep problems exert a negative impact on youths and their families. Parent and child mental health represent 2 posited, yet understudied, risk factors for sleep problems in youths. As such, this study sought to examine the role that parental psychopathology may play in mediating the relationship between child anxiety and sleep problems utilizing Internet sampling procedures. METHOD Parents (n = 83; 90.4% female) answered questions about their own mental health, and about their childs (n = 83; 77.1% female) anxiety and sleep. RESULTS Analyses found that parent anxiety and stress mediated the relationship between child anxiety and sleep problems. DISCUSSION This is the first study to examine the joint roles of parent psychopathology and child anxiety in explaining sleep problems in youths. Limitations notwithstanding, these results suggest that both parent- and child-level variables are important for developing a more comprehensive understanding of child sleep problems. Future areas of research are discussed.

Provider perceptions of pediatric obesity management in clinical practice

ABSTRACT The current study examined the association between barriers that primary care providers (PCPs) face in addressing pediatric obesity and current pediatric weight management practices. Seventy-six (77% female) PCPs in a midwestern children’s hospital system completed a survey of their current practices for obesity and barriers to addressing pediatric obesity. Regression analysis showed higher levels of barriers were associated with lower levels of current practices (β = –0.39, p = 0.001). Provider preferences of tools (e.g., handouts, trainings) for pediatric weight management are reported. Development of tools to aide intervention for pediatric weight management may be vital to optimal weight management intervention within primary care.

Child-specific, maternal, and environmental stressors in the context of adolescent weight outcomes

ABSTRACT Stress increases risk for pediatric obesity, yet limited research has simultaneously examined stressors from various areas of adolescent development while examining which stressors are most strongly associated with obesity risk. Among 675 adolescent–mother dyads from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, child, maternal, and environmental stressors were associated with poorer weight outcomes. Independent markers of stress were associated with higher levels of adolescent zBMI, including lower cortisol levels, greater adolescent depressive symptoms, and lower income-to-needs ratio. Future interventions may build upon these findings to identify at-risk youth and further examine how stressors relate to pediatric obesity risk.

Controlling feeding practices mediate the association between food insecurity and parent-reported child BMI percentile

ABSTRACT Although literature is mixed, some research suggests that food insecurity likely predicts obesity beginning in childhood. Child feeding practices may be one possible mechanism for this association. Parents of children ages 7–17 (n = 790) completed the USDA Core Food Security Module and the Child Feeding Questionnaire. Child BMI percentile was calculated using parent-reported child height and weight. Restrictive and controlling feeding practices each mediated the association between food insecurity and child BMI percentile, controlling for familial income and child age. Findings from this preliminary study suggest that feeding practices may be one mechanism through which food insecurity is related to obesity.

Familial Influences on the use of Controlling Feeding Practices with Adolescents

Little is known about what factors influence a caregiver to use controlling feeding practices with adolescents. The present study examines potential predictors (e.g., parent and child eating, parent and child weight, and the home environment) of the use of controlling feeding practices among adolescents, an age group that has not received much attention. Parents (N = 54, M age = 43.63 years, SD = 6.42; 94.4% female) of adolescents ages 12-17 (N = 54, M age = 13.94 years, SD = 1.75; 43.6% female) completed measures assessing their child feeding practices, eating patterns and the home environment. Adolescents completed measures of their eating patterns. Regression analyses were used to determine the most salient predictors of controlling child feeding practices, specifically restriction of food intake and pressure to eat. After controlling for adolescent age, parental dietary restraint was significantly associated with restriction and accounted for 15.2% of the variance in the use of restriction, F (1, 51) = 10.4, p<.01. Adolescent emotional eating and income-to-needs ratio were significantly associated with use of pressure above and beyond adolescent age and accounted for 29.1% of the variance in the use of pressure, F (2, 48) = 10.2, p<.001. This study suggests that future research should include factors from different levels of influence, such as child, parent and home environment. As understanding of these influences grows, efforts can be made to target specific contributors within intervention settings to address potential adverse outcomes associated with controlling feeding practices.