Annelies De Decker

Fat tissue accretion in children and adolescents : interplay between food responsiveness, gender, and the home availability of snacks

The appetitive trait “food responsiveness” is assumed to be a risk factor for adiposity gain primarily in obesogenic environments. So far, the reported results are inconsistent in school-aged children, possibly because these studies did not take into account important moderators such as gender and the food-environment. In order to better inform caregivers, clinicians and the developers of targeted obesity-prevention interventions on the conditions in which food responsiveness precedes adiposity gain, the current study investigated if this relationship is stronger in girls and in children exposed to a higher home availability of energy-dense snacks. Age- and sex-independent Fat and Lean Mass Index z-scores were computed based on air-displacement plethysmography at baseline and after 2 years in a community sample of 129 children (48.8% boys) aged 7.5–14 years at baseline. Parents reported at baseline on childrens food responsiveness and the home availability of energy-dense snacks. Food responsiveness was a significant predictor of increases in Fat Mass Index z-scores over 2 years in girls but not boys. The home availability of energy-dense snacks did not significantly moderate the relation of food responsiveness with Fat Mass Index z-score changes. The results suggest that food responsiveness precedes accelerated fat tissue accretion in girls, and may inform targeted obesity-prevention interventions. Further, future research should investigate to which food-environmental parameters children high in food responsiveness mainly respond.

Associations of leptin, insulin and lipids with retinal microvasculature in children and adolescents.

Abstract Background: We investigated whether cardiometabolic risk factors measured in serum (total cholesterol [TC], high-density lipoprotein [HDL], triglyceride, leptin, insulin, glucose and insulin resistance) are associated with the retinal microvasculature, a marker of cardiovascular aging, in healthy children and adolescents. Moreover, we tested whether these associations are due to direct biological effects or more indirectly due to adiposity-related side effects. Methods: We recruited 168 healthy Flemish children (7–16 years old, 54.8% boys). Blood samples and retinal photographs were taken during clinical examinations. Arteriolar and venular vessel calibers were calculated using a semi-automated computer program. Multivariable regression models were used and adjusted for age, sex, mean arterial pressure (MAP) and alternate retinal caliber. In a second step, we adjusted for body mass index z-score (zBMI). Results: Only continuous serum leptin was associated with retinal parameters, i.e. wider arterioles; however, this disappeared after adjustment for zBMI. Children with high cardiometabolic risk factors (>90th percentile for serum leptin, insulin and insulin resistance) had wider arterioles compared to children with lower concentrations, even after additional adjustment for zBMI. No significant associations were found with lipids. Conclusions: In this healthy population of children and adolescents, the hormones insulin and leptin and insulin resistance were associated with retinal microvasculature alterations, mainly in children with high cardiometabolic factors (>90th percentile), while lipids were not. These associations were independent of zBMI.

Residential landscape as a predictor of psychosocial stress in the life course from childhood to adolescence

BACKGROUND The effects of residential landscape, i.e., land use and traffic, on psychosocial stress in children are unknown, even though childhood stress might negatively affect normal development. In a longitudinal study, we investigate whether the residential landscape predicts childhood psychosocial stress and whether associations are independent of noise and air pollution. METHODS Belgian children aged 6.7-12.2 (N = 172, 50.9% boys) were followed for three years (2012-2015). Information on stress was obtained using standardized behavioral and emotional questionnaires and by a measure of hair cortisol. Residential landscape, including natural, agricultural, industrial, residential areas, and traffic, in a 100-m to 5-km radius around each childs home was characterized. Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between psychosocial stress and the residential landscape were studied using linear regression and mixed models, while adjusting for age, sex, and parental socioeconomic status. RESULTS Natural landscapes were positively associated with better emotional status (increased happiness and lower sadness, anxiousness, and total negative emotions, β = 0.14-0.17, 95% CI = 0.01-0.30). Similarly, we observed an inverse association between residential and traffic density with hyperactivity problems (β = 0.13-0.18, 95% CI = 0.01-0.34). In longitudinal analyses, industrial area was a predictor of increases in negative emotions, while a natural landscape was for increases in happiness. Only the effect of natural landscape was partly explained by residential noise. CONCLUSION Residential greenness in proximity to a childs residence might result in a better childhood emotional status, whereas poorer emotional status and behavioral problems (hyperactivity problems) were seen with residential and industrial areas and increased traffic density in proximity to a childs home.

Children’s cortisol and externalizing stress symptoms are predictors of adiponectin evolution over two years

BACKGROUND Adiponectin is an anti-inflammatory, insulin-sensitizing and energy-regulating adipocytokine. Consequently, the link between psychosocial stress and inflammatory diseases like the metabolic syndrome might be partially explained by lower adiponectin levels in stress. Nevertheless, the stress-adiponectin association has seldom been tested and no clarity exists about the directionality. METHODS In the Belgian ChiBS study, serum adiponectin and stress levels were measured in 348 children (5-10y) at baseline and in 168 of them after 2-year follow-up. Psychosocial stress was reported with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (parental report on emotional, peer, and conduct problems), negative emotions (anger, sadness, anxiety) and negative events. In addition, salivary cortisol diurnal patterns were available from 2days with each 4 samples. Longitudinal linear regression analyses were performed including step-wise adjustment for age, sex, socio-economic status, body fat%, physical activity and snack frequency. RESULTS Despite some positive cross-sectional associations, high daily cortisol output (beta=-0.285), anger (beta=-0.233) and conduct problems (beta=-0.182) were associated with less adiponectin increase over time, in most cases independent of the tested confounders. The other directionality was not significant: no longitudinal prediction of stress by adiponectin. CONCLUSION In healthy children, daily cortisol output and externalizing stress symptoms were negative predictors of adiponectin evolution. These findings highlight the health-compromising effects of psychosocial stress.

Emotion-driven impulsiveness and snack food consumption of European adolescents : Results from the I.Family study

We aimed to investigate the association between emotion-driven impulsiveness and snack food consumption in 1039 European adolescents aged 12-18 years. During the cross-sectional examination in 2013/2014, complete information was collected on: emotion-driven impulsiveness (using the negative urgency subscale from the Urgency, Premeditation, Perseverance, Sensation seeking, and Positive urgency (UPPS-P) Impulsive Behaviour Scale) and snacking behaviour operationalised as 1) consumption frequency of daily snacks, 2) consumption frequency of energy-dense snacks (both measured using Food Frequency Questionnaire) and 3) usual energy intake of food consumed per snacking occasion in calories. The latter was measured using online self-administered 24-h dietary recalls and was estimated based on the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Method. Anthropometric variables were measured and BMI z-score (zBMI) calculated. Age, sex, highest education level of the family and country of residence were assessed using a questionnaire. Mixed-effect regression analyses were separately conducted for each snacking behaviour outcome with emotion-driven impulsiveness as the exposure. After controlling for zBMI, age, sex, country and socioeconomic status, emotion-driven impulsiveness was positively associated with daily consumption frequency of snacks (β = 0.07, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) [0.02, 0.12]) and consumption frequency of energy-dense snacks (β = 0.25, 95% CI [0.19, 0.31]), but not with usual energy intake of food per snacking (β = 2.52, 95% CI [-0.55, 5.59]). Adolescents with a stronger emotion-driven impulsiveness tendency reported a higher snacking frequency and specifically more energy-dense snacks, whereas the energy intake of snack food seemed less important. These findings have implications for obesity prevention and treatment as they indicate the importance of targeting emotion-driven impulsiveness as a strategy to avoid excessive snacking.

Hand‐to‐foot bioelectrical impedance analysis to measure fat mass in healthy children: A comparison with air‐displacement plethysmography

AIM To identify children at risk of overweight, assessing childrens body composition in a valid way is crucial. The present cross-sectional study examines the comparability of childrens fat mass percentage obtained by hand-to-foot bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) versus BodPod air-displacement plethysmography as a reference method. METHODS The body composition of 206 Belgian children (7-13 years; 7.7% overweight) was measured with BodPod and hand-to-foot BIA (Tanita BC418 with built-in formula). RESULTS Overall, comparability was the highest in girls. Good ranking agreement (rho = 0.819) and interchangeability (intra-class correlation (ICC) = 0.757) were found in girls but not in boys (rho = 0.568; ICC = 0.512). Although bioelectrical impedance resulted in an overall overestimation of only 0.5 fat%, it underestimated and overestimated fat% in children with, respectively, higher and lower fat%. The 95% limits of agreement distance was around 17 fat%, and there was a significant difference from the line of identity (intercept ≠ 0; slope ≠ 1). CONCLUSIONS Despite good ranking agreement, the use of BIA as an alternative for the BodPod is not recommended because of over-/underestimation and wide limits of agreement. It is not possible to calculate a simple correction factor for the whole fat% range to make the two approaches interchangeable.

Parent-reported BIS/BAS scales for children : factor structure and measurement invariance across age and gender

The present study examined the factor structure and measurement invariance of the Behavioral Inhibition System/Behavioral Approach System (BIS/BAS) scales parent-report in children and adolescents (N = 1,444, 58% girls) across age (Group 1, 2-5 years; Group 2, 6-9 years; Group 3, 10-13 years; Group 4, 14-18 years old) and gender. The results consistently underscored a four-factor structure, resembling the original factor structure, with one BIS-factor and three BAS-factors. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis showed full measurement invariance across gender as well as across Group 1 and 2, and Group 2 and 3. Strong measurement invariance was found across Group 3 and 4, Group 1 and 3, and Group 2 and 4. Configural and metric invariance was found across Group 1 and 4. Hence, mean-level BIS/BAS scores can be compared across gender and age although comparison between preschool children (Group 1) and late secondary school children (Group 4) should be done with caution.