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Psychosocial risk factors underlie the link between attention deficit hyperactivity symptoms and overweight at school entry

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Abstract

The link between symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and increased body weight is well established, while the underlying mechanisms are not yet clear. Since increased body weight and ADHD symptoms have been found to be associated with psychosocial risk factors in childhood, we analyzed whether the psychosocial risks explain the association between the two conditions. The sample consisted of 360 children (age range 6–7 years, 173 boys) attending the obligatory medical health exam before school entry. The childrens’ height and weight were measured during the examination. ADHD symptoms were ascertained by parent-report questionnaires. Psychosocial risks were ascertained by a structured interview. The link between ADHD symptoms and body weight could be completely explained by cumulative psychosocial risks while controlling for gender, symptoms of depression/anxiety and oppositional defiant disorder of the child, maternal smoking during pregnancy, parental body mass index, and potential diagnosis of ADHD in the parents. In current models pertaining to the etiology of overweight/obesity and ADHD, chronic stress caused by psychosocial adversity is assumed to act as a trigger for these conditions. Psychosocial risks experienced during childhood may activate processes that specifically lead to the combined ADHD-overweight phenotype.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Philipps University of Marburg, Hans Sachs Str. 6, 35039, Marburg, Germany

    Ursula Pauli-Pott, Alexander Reinhardt, Elena Bagus, Monika Heinzel-Gutenbrunner & Katja Becker

  2. Department of Public Health, District administration Marburg-Biedenkopf, Schwanallee 23, 35037 , Marburg, Germany

    Birgit Wollenberg & Andrea Schroer

Authors
  1. Ursula Pauli-Pott
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  2. Alexander Reinhardt
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  3. Elena Bagus
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  4. Birgit Wollenberg
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  6. Monika Heinzel-Gutenbrunner
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  7. Katja Becker
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Correspondence to Ursula Pauli-Pott.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest except for K. Becker who was on the Advisory Board of Eli Lilly/Germany, was a member of the Scientific Committee of Shire, and was paid for public speaking by Shire. She was not involved in research/clinical trials sponsored by pharmaceutical industry within the last five years.

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Pauli-Pott, U., Reinhardt, A., Bagus, E. et al. Psychosocial risk factors underlie the link between attention deficit hyperactivity symptoms and overweight at school entry. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 26, 67–73 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-016-0870-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-016-0870-1

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