title: Observed self-regulation is associated with weight in low-income toddlers.
abstract: Obesity emerges in early childhood and tracks across development. Self-regulation develops rapidly during the toddler years, yet few studies have examined toddlers' self-regulation in relation to concurrent child weight. Further, few studies compare child responses in food and non-food-related tasks. Our goal was to examine toddlers' observed behavioral and emotional self-regulation in food and non-food tasks in relation to their body mass index z-score (BMIz) and weight status (overweight/obese vs. not). Observational measures were used to assess self-regulation (SR) in four standardized tasks in 133 low-income children (M age = 33.1 months; SD = 0.6). Behavioral SR was measured by assessing how well the child could delay gratification for a snack (food-related task) and a gift (non-food-related task). Emotional SR was measured by assessing child intensity of negative affect in two tasks designed to elicit frustration: being shown, then denied a cookie (food-related) or a toy (non-food-related). Task order was counterbalanced. BMIz was measured. Bivariate correlations and regression analyses adjusting for child sex, child race/ethnicity, and maternal education were conducted to examine associations of SR with weight. Results were that better behavioral SR in the snack delay task associated with lower BMIz (β = -0.27, p < 0.05) and lower odds of overweight/obesity (OR = 0.66, 95% CI 0.45, 0.96), but behavioral SR in the gift task did not associate with BMIz or weight status. Better emotional SR in the non-food task associated with lower BMIz (β = -0.27, p < 0.05), and better emotional SR in food and non-food tasks associated with lower odds of overweight/obesity (OR = 0.65, 95% CI 0.45, 0.96 and OR = 0.56, 95% CI 0.37, 0.87, respectively). Results are discussed regarding how behavioral SR for food and overall emotional SR relate to weight during toddlerhood, and regarding early childhood obesity prevention implications.
authors.affiliation: Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, 300 North Ingalls Street, 1023NW, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0406, USA; Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, USA. Electronic address: alimill@umich.edu.
authors.forename: Alison L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, 300 North Ingalls Street, 1023NW, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0406, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School, USA. Electronic address: katier@umich.edu.
authors.forename: Katherine L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Rosenblum
authors.affiliation: Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, 300 North Ingalls Street, 1023NW, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0406, USA. Electronic address: lretzl@umich.edu.
authors.forename: Lauren B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Retzloff
authors.affiliation: Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, 300 North Ingalls Street, 1023NW, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0406, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School, USA; Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, USA. Electronic address: jlumeng@umich.edu.
authors.forename: Julie C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lumeng
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004435:Eating / Q000523:psychology; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000523:psychology; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000523:psychology; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology*; D000068356:Self-Control / Q000523:psychology*; D062410:Snacks
keywords: Behavior; Childhood obesity; Emotion; Observational study; Toddler self-regulation; Weight