Associations Between Temperament at Age 1.5 Years and Obesogenic Diet at Ages 3 and 7 Years

Objective: To investigate whether temperament in 1.5 year olds predicts their consumption of potentially obesogenic foods and drinks at 3 and 7 years of age.

Methods: Participants were 6997 mothers and infants from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study. Questionnaires were collected during pregnancy, at birth, and at 6 months and 1.5, 3, and 7 years of age. Predictor variables included children's temperament at 1.5 years of age (internalizing, externalizing, surgent) and mothers' negative affectivity. Outcome variables included children's consumption of sweet foods, sweet drinks, and fruits/vegetables at 3 and 7 years of age (dichotomized at the 85th percentile).

Results: Controlling for covariates, internalizing 1.5 year olds (anxious, dependent) were 77% and 63% more likely to consume sweet drinks daily at 3 and 7 years of age, respectively; they were 55% and 43% more likely to consume sweet foods daily at 3 and 7 years, respectively. Externalizing 1.5 year olds (hyperactive, aggressive) were 34% more likely to consume sweet drinks daily at 7 years of age; they were 39% and 44% more likely to consume sweet foods daily at 3 and 7 years, respectively, and they were 47% and 33% less likely to consume fruits/vegetables daily at 3 and 7 years of age, respectively. Surgent 1.5 year olds (active, sociable) were 197% and 78% more likely to consume 2 portions of fruits/vegetables daily at 3 and 7 years, respectively. The association of maternal negative affectivity was limited to the child's consumption of sweet foods at 3 and 7 years.

Conclusion: Early child temperament is a risk factor for obesogenic diet in later childhood. Mechanisms explaining this association need to be explored.