1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«[N]ight eating behavior is associated with obesity and preliminary evidence suggests that it aggregates in families. […] The current study, therefore, sought to expand the literature on prevalence and familial resemblance of night eating behavior […].» (p. 2)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«[T]he population under study includes both children and parents enrolled in the QUALITY (Quebec Adipose and Lifestyle InvesTigation in Youth) cohort.» (p. 2) The sample is composed of 395 families (one child, mother, and father for whom at least one parent was obese or had abdominal obesity). «Children and their parents were recruited in elementary schools located in the Montreal and Quebec City areas.» (p. 2)

Instruments :
Night Eating Questionnaire (NEQ)

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

«Obesity is a complex health condition influenced by genetic, environmental, and behavioral factors. Several behavioral phenotypes, many of which aggregate in families, have been associated with increased risk of obesity.» (p. 1) «[N]ight eating behavior is associated with obesity and preliminary evidence suggests that it aggregates in families.» (p. 2) Responses on the NEQ were used to establish a diagnosis of NES [night eating syndrome] and to determine the correlation and heritability of NES symptoms in families. Using comprehensive research diagnostic criteria, full threshold NES was rare: 0% of children, 0.5% of mothers, and 0.3% of fathers met criteria. When controlling for age, sex, and BMI, NEQ scores of spouses were not significantly correlated, but mothers’ NEQ scores were significantly correlated with the scores of both sons (r = 0.19, P < 0.001) and daughters (r = 0.15, P = 0.05). The heritability of NEQ scores was 0.24 when controlling for age, sex, and BMI. These findings replicate previous research suggesting a low prevalence of night eating behavior in children and the aggregation of NES in families.» (p. 1)