title: Fat and lean tissue accretion in relation to reward motivation in children.
abstract: 'Reward sensitivity' explains inter-individual differences in the motivation to obtain rewards when reward cues are perceived. This psychobiological trait has been linked to higher consumption of palatable food when exposed to palatable food cues. The current study aims to examine if reward sensitivity explains differences in patterns of fat and lean tissue accretion over time in children. A longitudinal observational study with measurement waves in 2011 (baseline), 2012, 2013, and 2015 was conducted. The sample was a population-based Flemish cohort of children (n = 446, 50% boys and 5.5-12 years at baseline; 38.8% of the baseline sample also participated in 2015). Baseline reward sensitivity of the children was assessed by parent ratings on the Drive subscale of the Behavioral Inhibition System/Behavioral Approach System scales. Age- and sex-independent Fat and Lean Mass Index z-scores (zFMI and zLMI respectively) were computed for each study wave based on air-displacement plethysmography. In girls, but not boys, reward sensitivity was positively associated with the baseline zFMI and zLMI (95% confidence intervals of unstandardized estimates: 0.01 to 0.11 and 0.01 to 0.10 respectively, P values 0.01 and 0.02 respectively). Further, reward sensitivity explained 14.8% and 11.6% of the change in girls' zFMI and zLMI respectively over four years: the zFMI and zLMI increased and decreased respectively in high reward sensitive girls (95% confidence intervals of unstandardized estimates: 0.01 to 0.11 and -0.12 to -0.01 respectively, P values 0.01 and 0.02 respectively). Hence, girls high in reward sensitivity had significantly higher adiposity gain over four years parallel with lower increase in lean mass than was expected on the basis of their age and height. These results may help to identify appropriate targets for interventions for obesity prevention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185 UZ 4K3, 9000 Gent, Belgium. Electronic address: Annelies.DeDecker@UGent.Be.
authors.forename: Annelies
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Decker
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185 UZ 4K3, 9000 Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: De Clercq
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Gent, Belgium. Electronic address: Sandra.Verbeken@UGent.Be.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Verbeken
authors.affiliation: Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, Institute of Child Health, University College of London, 30 Guilford Street, WC1N 1EH, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: Jonathan.Wells@UCL.ac.UK.
authors.forename: Jonathan C K
authors.initials: JCK
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Gent, Belgium. Electronic address: Caroline.Braet@UGent.Be.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Braet
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185 UZ 4K3, 9000 Gent, Belgium. Electronic address: Nathalie.Michels@UGent.Be.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Michels
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185 UZ 4K3, 9000 Gent, Belgium. Electronic address: Stefaan.DeHenauw@UGent.Be.
authors.forename: Stefaan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Henauw
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185 UZ 4K3, 9000 Gent, Belgium. Electronic address: Isabelle.Sioen@UGent.Be.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sioen
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002657:Child Development; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D024510:Muscle Development; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D012201:Reward; D012306:Risk; D012737:Sex Factors
keywords: Child; Fat mass; Lean mass; Longitudinal; Overweight; Reward