Obesity in childhood is increasing at an alarming rate. For children ages 2-5 years, the prevalence of overweight children has almost tripled over the last 30 years, from 5% to 13.9%, Obesity is a multifactorial condition with varying causes including genetic, social, cultural, and behavioral factors, all of which may interact.
The aims of the present proposal are to examine a number of these factors and their role in rapid weight gain in infancy and overweight in early childhood. We propose to investigate the interaction between genetically-based child characteristics and early parent feeding practices as risk factors for childhood obesity. More specifically, the parent feeding practices of using food to soothe infant distress is explicitly to interact with the temperament trait of urgency, which is characterized by a sensitive reward system, to increase the risk of childhood obesity. This hypothesis is guided by the central principle of the proposed study;that temperament is linked to health and adjustment either indirectly by evoking parenting responses or through interactions with parenting behaviors that may either buffer the negative defects or increase the risk for poor outcome. Toward this goal infant/toddler temperament and parenting will be assessed throughout the first l8 months of life using multiple methods including diaries, laboratory visit"""""""" telephone surveys and parent reports. Rapid weight gain in infancy and toddler weight are the proposed outcomes. Identifying modifiable factors present early in a child's life will contribute to more successful interventions aimed at reducing childhood and adult obesity.

Public Health Relevance

Rlvnce Obesity inchlhoo sincresingata lrmngrte Byientifyngmoifiabe fcorserl inthechild'slifethtcnribue othiswrsenin epidemic mre ucesfulpreventionsandintervention an beacomplihe d The imso the prpsedsud,whichwill investiatetheinercinbeweenprenin feedin prcicesandchildtempermen,willgretl enhncethiseffr.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
1R01DK081512-01A1
Application #
7730462
Study Section
Psychosocial Risk and Disease Prevention Study Section (PRDP)
Program Officer
Horlick, Mary
Project Start
2009-08-20
Project End
2011-07-31
Budget Start
2009-08-20
Budget End
2010-07-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$538,080
Indirect Cost
Name
Pennsylvania State University
Department
Other Health Professions
Type
Schools of Allied Health Profes
DUNS #
003403953
City
University Park
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
16802
Stifter, Cynthia A; Moding, Kameron J (2018) Infant temperament and parent use of food to soothe predict change in weight-for-length across infancy: early risk factors for childhood obesity. Int J Obes (Lond) 42:1631-1638
Moding, Kameron J; Augustine, Mairin E; Stifter, Cynthia A (2018) Interactive effects of parenting behavior and regulatory skills in toddlerhood on child weight outcomes. Int J Obes (Lond) :
Augustine, Mairin E; Moding, Kameron J; Stifter, Cynthia A (2017) Predicting toddler temperamental approach-withdrawal: Contributions of early approach tendencies, parenting behavior, and contextual novelty. J Res Pers 67:97-105
Moding, Kameron J; Stifter, Cynthia A (2016) Stability of food neophobia from infancy through early childhood. Appetite 97:72-8
Moding, Kameron J; Stifter, Cynthia A (2016) Temperamental approach/withdrawal and food neophobia in early childhood: Concurrent and longitudinal associations. Appetite 107:654-662
Stifter, Cynthia A; Rovine, Michael (2015) Modeling dyadic processes using Hidden Markov Models: A time series approach to mother-infant interactions during infant immunization. Infant Child Dev 24:298-321
Doub, Allison E; Moding, Kameron J; Stifter, Cynthia A (2015) Infant and maternal predictors of early life feeding decisions. The timing of solid food introduction. Appetite 92:261-8
Stifter, Cynthia A; Moding, Kameron J (2015) Understanding and measuring parent use of food to soothe infant and toddler distress: A longitudinal study from 6 to 18 months of age. Appetite 95:188-96
Moding, Kameron J; Birch, Leann L; Stifter, Cynthia A (2014) Infant temperament and feeding history predict infants' responses to novel foods. Appetite 83:218-25
Stifter, Cynthia A; Anzman-Frasca, Stephanie; Birch, Leann L et al. (2011) Parent use of food to soothe infant/toddler distress and child weight status. An exploratory study. Appetite 57:693-9