title: Associations of children's appetitive traits with weight and dietary behaviours in the context of general parenting.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Individual variations in child weight can be explained by genetic and behavioural susceptibility to obesity. Behavioural susceptibility can be expressed in appetite-related traits, e.g. food responsiveness. Research into such behavioural factors is important, as it can provide starting points for (preventive) interventions.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine associations of children's appetitive traits with weight and with fruit, snack and sugar-sweetened beverage intake, and to examine whether parenting style interacts with appetite in determining child weight/intake.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were used from 1275 children participating in the INPACT study in 2009-2010, with a mean age of 9 years in 2009. Their height and weight were measured to calculate body mass index (BMI). Parents completed a questionnaire to measure children's appetitive traits, children's dietary intake and parenting style. Child BMI z-scores, fruit, snack and sugar-sweetened beverage intake were regressed on appetitive traits. Moderation by parenting style was tested by adding interaction terms to the regression analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Food-approaching appetitive traits were positively, and food-avoidant appetitive traits were negatively related to child BMI z-scores and to child fruit intake. There were no or less consistent associations for snack and sugar-sweetened beverage intake. Authoritative parenting voided the negative association between food fussiness and fruit intake, while neglecting parenting strengthened the positive association between food-approaching appetitive traits and weight.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early assessment of appetitive traits could be used to identify children at risk for overweight. As parenting style can moderate the associations between appetitive traits and weight/intake in a favourable way, parents are a promising target group for preventive interventions aimed at influencing the effect of appetitive traits on children.
authors.affiliation: IVO Addiction Research Institute, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. rodenburg@ivo.nl
authors.forename: Gerda
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rodenburg
authors.forename: Stef P J
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Kremers
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oenema
authors.forename: Dike
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: van de Mheen
mesh_terms: D001066:Appetite; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D004032:Diet; D006801:Humans; D016487:Parenting; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires