title: Sensitivity to reward is associated with snack and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  High intake of palatable foods, such as energy-dense snacks and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), is common among adolescents. An individual's sensitivity to reward (SR) may influence these intakes. The main objective of this study was to investigate the association between SR and both snack and SSB intake among adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  A representative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1104 14- to 16-year-olds (mean age = 14.7 ± 0.8 years; 50.9 % boys; 18.0 % overweight) in Flanders. Daily intakes were measured by a food frequency questionnaire. SR was assessed using the behavioral activation system (BAS) scales. Multilevel regression analyses (two level: adolescent school) were conducted using STATA version 13.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BAS drive was positively associated with daily intakes of SSBs (13.79 %, p < 0.01), unhealthy snacks (5.42 %, p < 0.001), and energy and nutrients derived from SSBs (p < 0.001) and snacks (p < 0.01). BAS reward responsiveness (RR) was only positively associated with intake of unhealthy snacks (3.85 %, p < 0.05), healthy snacks (6.41 %, p < 0.05), and fat (4.05 %, p < 0.01) and Na (3.89 %, p < 0.05) from snacks. Interaction effects of gender and BAS RR (p < 0.05) were found. Significant positive associations between BAS RR and daily intakes of energy from snacks (6.48 %, p < 0.01) and fat from snacks (7.22 %, p < 0.001) were found only for girls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SR was associated with snack and SSB consumption in adolescents, especially in girls. These findings suggest that SR should be taken into account when designing interventions to improve the snack and SSB intake of adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Safety and Food Quality, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium. nathaliel.decock@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: De Cock
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185A, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Van Lippevelde
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Leentje
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vervoort
authors.affiliation: Leuven School for Mass Communication Research, KU Leuven, Parkstraat 45 -bus 3603, Louvain, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jolien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vangeel
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185A, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Lea
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Maes
authors.affiliation: Leuven School for Mass Communication Research, KU Leuven, Parkstraat 45 -bus 3603, Louvain, Belgium.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eggermont
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Braet
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Safety and Food Quality, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Carl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lachat
authors.affiliation: Division of Poverty, Nutrition and Health, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Lieven
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huybregts
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Lien
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Goossens
authors.affiliation: Leuven School for Mass Communication Research, KU Leuven, Parkstraat 45 -bus 3603, Louvain, Belgium.|Research Foundation-Flanders, Egmontstraat 5, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Beullens
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Safety and Food Quality, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.|Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kolsteren
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Safety and Food Quality, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van Camp
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001628:Beverages; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002149:Energy Intake; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D055361:Multilevel Analysis; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D064427:Nutritive Sweeteners / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012201:Reward; D062410:Snacks; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D064427:Nutritive Sweeteners
keywords: Adolescents; Sensitivity to reward; Snacking; sugar-sweetened beverages