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Childhood ADHD may increase obesity risk in adolescence
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Data from a prospective, longitudinal, population-based study show that children with symptoms of conduct disorder or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder are at increased risk for obesity and physical inactivity as adolescents.
Physical activity was shown to mediate the association between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or conduct disorder symptoms and obesity.
“Obesity is a growing problem that we need to watch out for in all children and young people, but these findings suggest it’s particularly important for children with ADHD,” Alina Rodriguez, PhD, visiting professor at the School of Public Health at Imperial College London, said in a press release.
Study participants were part of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986, which included 8,954 children born between July 1, 1985, and June 30, 1986.
Postal questionnaires were submitted by parents and teachers when the children were aged 7 to 8 years, which included a wide range of questions about health and lifestyle habits of the children. Height and weight data were used to calculate BMI, and teachers assessed behavioral terms associated with ADHD and conduct disorder such as “poor concentration,” “restless,” “destructive,” “miserable” and “fearful.” These terms and others were rated by adults as “certainly applies,” “applies somewhat” and “does not apply,” based on the Rutter B2 mental health screening scale. Parents reported on the level of active play in which each child engaged.
At age 16 years, weight and height were measured along with waist-to-hip ratio. The adolescent participants were asked how many hours of modest to vigorous activity they participated in, characterized as “causing at least some sweating or shortness of breath.” Participants also were asked about light activity and binge eating. Parents of the adolescents were asked about behavior using the strengths and weaknesses of ADHD symptoms and normal behavior (SWAN) scale. With the exception of one boy in the study, none of the participants were treated with methylphenidate or other stimulants for ADHD.
Data analysis showed that inattention-hyperactivity symptoms at age 8 years appeared to be linked to the incidence of obesity based on BMI (OR=1.91; 95% CI, 1.1-3.33) and waist-to-hip ratio (OR=1.71; 95% CI, 1.05-2.78) at age 16 years, even after adjusting for factors such as gender, baseline BMI and physical activity levels in addition to other factors such as maternal education level and structural changes in the family.
Symptoms of ADHD and conduct disorders in childhood also positively correlated with low physical activity as adolescents (OR=1.6; 95% CI, 1.2-2.13), and conversely, low childhood physical activity was associated with inattention in adolescence (OR=1.61; 95% CI, 1.16-2.24). Binge eating in adolescence was not linked to childhood ADHD or conduct disorders.
Researchers said in the study publication that symptoms of ADHD in childhood “significantly predicted adolescent activity,” and that “reduced physically active play in childhood constitutes an early risk factor for inattention symptoms later in adolescence.”
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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