A brief bout of moderate intensity physical activity improves preadolescent children's behavioral inhibition but does not change their energy intake

Nichole R Kelly; Claire Guidinger; Daniel M Swan; David Thivel; Austin Folger; Gabriella M Luther; Michael E Hahn

doi:10.1007/s10865-024-00495-1

A brief bout of moderate intensity physical activity improves preadolescent children's behavioral inhibition but does not change their energy intake

J Behav Med. 2024 Apr 26. doi: 10.1007/s10865-024-00495-1. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Nichole R Kelly^{1

2}, Claire Guidinger^{3

4}, Daniel M Swan⁴, David Thivel⁵, Austin Folger^{3

4}, Gabriella M Luther^{3

4}, Michael E Hahn⁶

Affiliations

¹ Counseling Psychology and Human Services, University of Oregon, 1215 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA. nicholek@uoregon.edu.
² The Prevention Science Institute, University of Oregon, 6217 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA. nicholek@uoregon.edu.
³ Counseling Psychology and Human Services, University of Oregon, 1215 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
⁴ The Prevention Science Institute, University of Oregon, 6217 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA.
⁵ Laboratory of the Metabolic Adaptations to Exercise under Physiological and Pathological Conditions, Clermont Auvergne University, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
⁶ Human Physiology, University of Oregon, 1240 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA.

PMID: 38671287
DOI: 10.1007/s10865-024-00495-1

Abstract

Children in rural communities consume more energy-dense foods relative to their urban peers. Identifying effective interventions for improving energy intake patterns are needed to address these geographic disparities. The primary aim of this study was to harness the benefits of physical activity on children's executive functioning to see if these improvements lead to acute changes in eating behaviors. In a randomized crossover design, 91 preadolescent (8-10y; M age = 9.48 ± 0.85; 50.5% female; 85.7% White, 9.9% Multiracial, 9.9% Hispanic) children (86% rural) completed a 20-minute physical activity condition (moderate intensity walking) and time-matched sedentary condition (reading and/or coloring) ~ 14 days apart. Immediately following each condition, participants completed a behavioral inhibition task and then eating behaviors (total energy intake, relative energy intake, snack intake) were measured during a multi-array buffet test meal. After adjusting for period and order effects, body fat (measured via DXA), and depressive symptoms, participants experienced significant small improvements in their behavioral inhibition following the physical activity versus sedentary condition (p = 0.04, Hedge's g = 0.198). Eating behaviors did not vary by condition, nor did improvements in behavioral inhibition function as a mediator (ps > 0.09). Thus, in preadolescent children, small improvements in behavioral inhibition from physical activity do not produce acute improvements in energy intake. Additional research is needed to clarify whether the duration and/or intensity of physical activity sessions would produce different results in this age group, and whether intervention approaches and corresponding mechanisms of change vary by individual factors, like age and degree of food cue responsivity.

Keywords: Behavioral inhibition; Child; Eating; Executive functioning; Inhibitory control; Physical activity; Rural.

Grants and funding

R21HD094661/Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development