Daniela Dremmel

Variants of early‐onset restrictive eating disturbances in middle childhood

OBJECTIVE This study sought to determine the factor structure of the newly developed self-report screening questionnaire Eating Disturbances in Youth-Questionnaire (EDY-Q) as well as to report the distribution of variants of early-onset restrictive eating disturbances characteristic of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) in a middle childhood population sample. METHOD Using the EDY-Q, a total of 1,444 children aged 8-13 years were screened in elementary schools in Switzerland via self-report. The factor analysis of the 12 items covering ARFID related symptoms was performed using a principal component analysis (PCA). RESULTS The PCA showed a four factor solution, with clear allocation to the scales covering three variants of early-onset restrictive eating disturbances and weight problems. Inadequate overall food intake was reported by 19.3% of the children, a limited accepted amount of food by 26.1%, and food avoidance based on a specific underlying fear by 5.0%. DISCUSSION The postulated factor structure of the EDY-Q was confirmed, further supporting the existence of distinct variants of early-onset restrictive eating disturbances. Avoidant/restrictive eating behavior seems to be a common experience in middle childhood, but results have to be confirmed using validated interviews.

Influence of Parental Expressed Emotions on Children's Emotional Eating via Children's Negative Urgency

We investigated whether parental expressed emotion (criticism and emotional overinvolvement) is related to childrens emotional eating and whether this relationship is mediated by childrens negative urgency. One hundred children, aged 8 to 13 years, either healthy or have binge-eating disorder and/or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, completed the questionnaires, along with their parents. Parental criticism and, to a lesser extent, parental emotional overinvolvement were both positively related to childrens emotional eating, and this relationship was mediated by childrens negative urgency. Further exploratory analyses revealed that the mediating role of childrens negative urgency in the relationship between parental criticism and childrens emotional eating was pronounced in the clinical group of children with binge-eating disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder but almost absent in the healthy control group. Copyright

Cue reactivity, habituation, and eating in the absence of hunger in children with loss of control eating and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

OBJECTIVE Childhood loss of control (LOC) eating and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are highly comorbid conditions and present with disordered eating behaviors, such as overeating. This study sought to delineate shared and specific abnormalities in physiological, cognitive-motivational, and behavioral components of food-specific impulsivity in children with LOC eating and ADHD. Specifically, childrens reactivity and habituation to food and eating in the absence of hunger were examined. METHODS Within this community-based study, four groups of 8-13-year-old children with LOC eating (n = 24), ADHD (n = 32), comorbid LOC eating/ADHD (n = 9), and matched controls (n = 34) received a standard laboratory test meal to establish satiety and were then exposed to their favorite snack food in a cue exposure/reactivity trial, while salivation and desire to eat were repeatedly assessed. Subsequently, they were offered a variety of snack foods ad libitum. RESULTS Children with LOC eating, ADHD, and LOC/ADHD did not differ from controls in salivary reactivity and habituation to food cues. Children with LOC eating and ADHD showed greater cue reactivity of the desire to eat than controls, but groups did not differ in its longer-term increments. At free access, only children with LOC/ADHD consumed significantly more energy than controls. Longer-term increments of desire to eat predicted greater energy intake beyond LOC/ADHD group status. DISCUSSION Desire to eat among children with comorbid LOC eating and ADHD was associated with overeating in the absence of hunger, which may contribute to excess weight gain. Delineation of the specific features of childhood LOC eating versus ADHD warrants further study.

Eating disturbances in childhood and early adolescence: Screening in the general population

Background: Theorised pathways in an ‘extended’ common-sense model of illness representations (CSM) in those affected by Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) were examined. Analysis contrasted between those using complementary medicines (CAM-users) and those not using CAM (non-users). Methods: A web-based cross-sectional survey. Participants (n=653) were recruited from an IBS self-help network and other online illness discussion forums and assessed on the IPQ-R, the BMQ-General, the Brief-COPE and IBS-QOL. Findings: CAM-users reported poorer quality of life compared to non-users. Stronger perceptions of illness consequences and emotional representations were strongly correlated with reduced quality of life and poorer emotional outcomes in both groups. Self-blame and behavioural disengagement partially mediated the pathway from perception to outcome. Discussion: Findings suggest consistency with CSM theory. The detected influence of representations on quality of life (via coping strategies) suggests health psychologists could address components of illness perceptions to improve quality of life in those affected by IBS.Background: Psychological preparation has been demonstrated to improve post-operative outcomes including pain and health care resource use. This systematic review (registered with the Cochrane Anaesthesia Review Group) will investigate which methods of preparation are effective and for which outcomes. Economic data will be reviewed where available. Methods: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of adults undergoing elective surgery under general anaesthesia are included. Papers are identified using electronic searches, reference lists and contact with authors of studies to identify unpublished research. Expected results: In a meta-analysis including 38 RCTs, Johnston and Vogele (1993) found psychological preparation to be effective in improving various postoperative outcomes. It is expected that this up-dated review will provide further evidence about which techniques are effective because more studies are now available. Current stage of work: Papers are being screened for inclusion. Discussion: Identifying effective pre-surgical interventions may result in improved patient outcomes and healthcare resource use.[Extract] Background: Qualities of resilience have been strongly identified within farming populations. This resilience is being challenged, with high suicide rates raising concerns about the mental health of the farming population. This research explored those factors which impacted the resilience of farming families of Australia. Methods: Interviews were conducted (N=53 participants) and analysed using Grounded Theory and Content Analysis. Based on qualitative findings, a subsequent sample (N=278) of farming families from across Australia completed the survey. Measures of stressors, work-life balance, coping, buffering characteristics and well-being were distributed. Findings: Outcomes suggested themes of commitment and identification with farming helped build resilience. Path analysis indicated that buffering characteristics mediated and moderated the impact of stressors and role interference on indicators of well-being, χ² (18)=23.98, p=0.156. Discussion: Recommendations were made for raising awareness to the farming community of the risk factors for poor health and suggestions for increasing the resilience of groups at-risk of poor well-being.Resiliance and Health - 26th Conference of the European Health Psychology Society, Prague, Czech Republic, 21st - 25th August 2012Using two behavioral risk tasks (Balloon Analogue Risk Task BART; Lejuez et al. 2002 and Columbia Card Task, CCT; Figner et al. 2009) that mimic important features of real-world risk taking behaviors, we investigated the effects of different types of negative affect on risk taking. Methods: Participants (N¼50) were first administered the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS; Zigmond et al. 1983). One month later, they completed the BART and the cold CCT, in counterbalanced order. State mood was assessed before participants played the CCT and BART. Findings: Higher levels of anxiety were associated with less risk taking in both tasks; depression was unrelated to risk taking. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that these findings were robust to mood effects. Discussion: Findings from the current study indicated that healthy subjects’ risk taking tendencies vary between anxiety and depression. Implications for prevention of health risks are discussed. 194 EHPS 2012 abstracts Downloaded byBackground: Physical exercise contributes to healthy ageing, and strength training has beenshown to improve independence in older people.Method: Six hundred older people wererandomly selected from ...Background: Conceptual clarification of salutogenesis (Antonovsky 1987) and resilience – what is common and different? Methods: A systematic research synthesis 1992–2010 based on about 1300 papers ...Resiliance and Health - 26th Conference of the European Health Psychology Society, Prague, Czech Republic, 21st - 25th August 2012This conference abstract looks provides an analysis of the behaviour change techniques used in Scottish Government supported behaviour change interventionsBackground: The aim of this research was to examine variables that influence attention to health information in order to develop a predictive model. Methods: Community participants(N=330) were randomly assigned to one of two conditions presenting information about coronary heart disease (CHD) or road accidents. Information was either risk or neutral in valency. Attention to information was measured using a surprise recall task. Other variables measured included perceived risk, optimism, control and coping strategies. Findings: Overall, participants in the CHD condition remembered significantly more risk information than participants in the road condition. Participants in the road condition endorsed significantly lower beliefs in personal control perceptions while also endorsing greater beliefs in other’s control over their own road outcomes. Discussion: While perceived control is usually emphasised as integral in adopting protective behaviours these findings suggest that they are also central in communicating health information.