Unpacking the Temperament Weight Relationship: The Mediating Role of Food Preferences

<p>The current study examined the mediating role of possible food preferences on the temperamentweight relationship among 18-month-old toddlers. Parents of 37 typically developing toddlers completed the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire (ECBQ). During a lab visit toddlers’ weight and recumbent length were measured and recorded. Toddlers also completed a sequential touching task to examine their ability to categorize a healthy group of foods and an unhealthy group of foods. The only temperament measure found to associate with both child weight status and food categorization was inhibitory control. Toddlers’ food categorization was not found to mediate the relationship between inhibitory control and their weight status. The results of this study suggest that there is a continued need for a nonparent report measure of food preferences.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

MA (Master of Arts)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis - unrestricted

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Year dc:date.issued

2013

Author dc:creator

• Berry, Sarah A

• temperament
• weight
• food preference
• categorization
• difficult temperament
• Community Health and Preventive Medicine
• Developmental Psychology
• Health Psychology
• Public Health Education and Promotion

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright by the authors.

Repository record dc:identifier

https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1187

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dc.etsu.edu:etd-2371