[Eating behaviors and emotional symptoms in childhood obesity: a cross-sectional exploratory study using self-report questionnaires in 63 children and adolescents].

OBJECTIVES: The main objective was to assess emotional symptoms (anxiety and depression) and to describe eating behaviours in a population of children and adolescents consulting for obesity. The second objective was to examine the interactions between these parameters.

METHOD: A cross-sectional exploratory study in obese children and adolescents was conducted using self-report questionnaires for depression (Child Depression Inventory), anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children), binge eating (Binge Eating Scale adapted for children), emotional, external, and restrained eating (Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire adapted for children) in obese children and adolescents, from both sexes, aged 7-15 years old.

RESULTS: Fourty-one children and 22 adolescents were assessed, two-third were female, the mean age was 11 years ± 2.3 and the mean BMI z-score was 4.2 ± 0.9. Nearly half had significant anxiety, nearly one-third had depressive symptoms, and 15% had severe binge eating symptoms. Girls reported more anxiety than boys. Emotional and external eating, binge eating, and emotional symptoms were strongly associated. Binge eating was independently associated with emotional eating, depression, and anxiety (r=0.86, P<0.001).

DISCUSSION: Emotional eating and emotional symptoms were strongly associated in the child and adolescent overweight population in these out-patient pediatric departments.

CONCLUSION: Emotional symptoms and eating behavior assessments are needed in overweight children and adolescents in order to implement multidisciplinary treatment.