Abstract

GRANJO-MORAIS, Catarina et al. Eating behavior of adolescents with attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder during the pandemic. Psic., Saúde & Doenças [online]. 2022, vol.23, n.1, pp.131-140.  Epub Apr 30, 2022. ISSN 1645-0086.  https://doi.org/10.15309/22psd230113.

Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be at risk of developing eating disorders during the pandemic. Not only obesity has been pointed out as a comorbidity of ADHD, but also weight loss secondary to treatment with psychostimulants is a frequent concern. We aimed to assess Body Mass Index (BMI) at one-year of pandemic, in adolescents with ADHD and normal weight at the beginning of the pandemic in Portugal, and to study the association between eating behaviors and the variation of BMI z-score values in 12 months. Adolescents aged 10-17 years with ADHD and normal weight (P5 ≤ BMI < P85) in February 2020 were included. We applied the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire. We included 59 patients, 41 (69.5%) males, mean age 13±2.02 years. At one-year of pandemic, five (8.6%) patients were underweight, 42 (72.4%) maintained normal weight and 11 (19%) were overweight. We obtained significant positive correlations between the variation of BMI z-score values and the subscales “Enjoyment of food” (ρ=0.439; p<0.001), “Food responsiveness” (ρ=0.334; p=0.01) and “Emotional over-eating” (ρ=0.273; p=0.038) and a significant negative correlation with “Satiety responsiveness” (ρ=-0.279; p=0.034). “Enjoyment of food”, “Food responsiveness”, “Satiety responsiveness” and “Emotional over-eating” were the eating behaviors with highest influence on weight status in adolescents with ADHD during the first year of pandemic. Anthropometric measurements of these patients should be carefully monitored in the future.

Keywords : Adolescent; Attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity; Weight status; Eating Behavior; COVID-19.

        · abstract in Portuguese     · text in Portuguese     · Portuguese ( pdf )