Ethan E. Hull

Utilizing Ecological Momentary Assessment in Pediatric Obesity to Quantify Behavior, Emotion, and Sleep

This study examined the feasibility of using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) to examine important domains relevant to interregulatory health processes in overweight adolescent females in their natural environments. Participants were 20 overweight adolescent females engaged in a cognitive–behavioral and motivational interviewing intervention aimed at weight loss and improving mood (11–19 years old, 80% white, 15% African American, mean BMI = 39). During this EMA protocol, participants were asked to report their physical activity (PA), nutrition, mood, and sleep during 14 cellular phone calls over three extended weekends (Thursday to Monday). Simultaneously, participants wore an actigraph (armband and watch communicator) that provided instantaneous PA feedback (steps taken and kilocalories) and sleep parameters (duration and efficiency). EMA compliance rates for the armband and phone calls were 74.7 ± 0.3% and 64.2 ± 0.3%, respectively. Data from the armband and phone calls are presented to illustrate the depth of information acquired by utilizing this innovative methodology.

Disordered Eating and Mental Workload

In the resource model of attention, the human mind is conceptualized as a limited-capacity information processing system. When “reserves” of mental energy are depleted, cognitive functioning and reactions to stimuli may be altered. Individuals with disordered eating may show delayed processing and increased mental workload pertaining to food-related stimuli compared with normal controls. Only one study has shed light on this area, and this research is summarized to provide a helpful overview for clinicians. Participants in this study included undergraduate females who completed an eating disorder inventory and craving questionnaire. The women rated the difficulty of receiving olfactory cues and performing a cognitive task (Disorder Salient Stroop) that utilized food and control words. It was hypothesized that women with more disordered eating symptoms would find the cognitive task more mentally taxing than those who scored lower on disordered eating symptoms. Also, among women who endorsed high cravings, it was thought that those high in disordered eating would report higher mental workload than those low in disordered eating. Lastly, for women who endorse high levels of neuroticism, those high in disordered eating would report higher mental workload than those low in disordered eating. Results showed that women who were high on disordered eating rated the olfactory and cognitive tasks as being mentally difficult, and that women high in neuroticism reported the olfactory and cognitive tasks to be significantly more mentally demanding compared with those with low levels of neuroticism. While neuroticism moderated the strength of the relationship between disordered eating and mental workload, food cravings did not moderate this relationship. Findings suggest a role for cognitive behavioral interventions in the treatment of disordered eating, particularly related to mental workload.