title: Psychological and physiological correlates of childhood obesity in Taiwan.
abstract: Evidence of associations between psychopathology and obesity in childhood remains inconsistent, and most studies have been conducted in Western countries. This study investigated psychological and physiological correlates of obesity in a community sample of children in Taiwan. In total, 302 children (157 overweight/obese and 145 healthy-weight children) were selected from first- and fourth-grade schoolchildren in eight elementary schools in 2009. These children participated in a comprehensive health examination, including a physical examination, blood sample analysis, and questionnaire administration. We found that regarding physiological characteristics, compared with the healthy-weight children, the overweight/obese children had significantly higher values for body fat estimated using the bioelectrical impedance method (p < 0.001), systolic blood pressure (p < 0.001), and diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.001); lower values for high-density lipoprotein (p < 0.001); and worse values for glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (p < 0.001), triglycerides (p < 0.001), and fasting blood glucose (p = 0.049). In logistic models adjusted for parental and child traits and physiological characteristics, children's overweight/obesity was significantly associated with lower self-concept (odds ratio [OR] = 0.96, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.93-0.99) and less disruptive behavior (OR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.92-0.99). Less disruptive behavior and the lack of a higher prevalence of anxiety and depression in childhood obesity appear to be a unique pattern in Taiwan that warrants further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Medical University Hospital, 252 Wu-Hsing St., Taipei 110, Taiwan.|Psychiatric Research Center, Taipei Medical University Hospital, 252 Wu-Hsing St., Taipei 110, Taiwan.|Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wu-Hsing St., Taipei 110, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kuo-Hsuan
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, College of Public Health and Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wu-Hsing St., Taipei 110, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hung-Yi
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Chiou
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, College of Public Health and Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wu-Hsing St., Taipei 110, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-Hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001794:Blood Pressure; D050218:Body Fat Distribution; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D017097:Electric Impedance; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D000066553:Problem Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D012574:Schools; D012649:Self Concept; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D000410:Alanine Transaminase