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Publications

Journal Article Ppublish 1 citation

PubMed: 41807748 DOI: 10.1038/s41430-026-01709-2

How eating behaviours associate to body composition in European adolescents: a cross-sectional analysis from the HELENA study.

Eur J Clin Nutr 80(4):414-426

Authors: Andrea Jimeno-Martínez, Miguel Seral-Cortés, Ivie Maneschy, Azahara I Rupérez, Kurt Widhalm, Anthony Kafatos, Cristina Molina-Hidalgo, Marcela González-Gross, Sonia Gómez-Martínez, Esther Nova, Stefaan De Henauw, Dénes Molnár, Romana Roccaldo, Laurent Béghin, Mathilde Kersting, Christina Breidenassel, Yannis Manios, Angel Gutierrez, Giannis Arnaoutis, Luis A Moreno

Affiliations

  • GENUD (Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development) Research Group, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
  • Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón (IA2), Zaragoza, Spain.
  • Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón (IIS Aragón), Zaragoza, Spain.
  • GENUD (Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development) Research Group, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
  • Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón (IA2), Zaragoza, Spain.
  • Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón (IIS Aragón), Zaragoza, Spain.
  • CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
  • CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
  • Division of Clinical Nutrition and Prevention, Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
  • Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Herakleion, Greece.
  • AdventHealth Research Institute, Neuroscience, FL, USA.
  • Clinical and Exercise Physiology Research Group (EFFECTS 262), Department of Medical Physiology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
  • ImFINE Research Group, Department of Health and Human Performance, Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences-INEF, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
  • Immunonutrition Research Group, Department of Metabolism & Nutrition, Institute of Food Science, Technology and Nutrition (ICTAN)-CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
  • Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
  • Department of Paediatrics, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
  • Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Rome, Italy.
  • University of Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, U1286 - INFINITE - Institute for Translational Research in Inflammation, and CIC 1403 - Clinical Investigation Center, Lille, France.
  • Research Department of Child Nutrition, University Hospital of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, St. Josef-Hospital Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
  • Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
  • Institute of Agri-food and Life Sciences, Hellenic Mediterranean University Research Centre, Heraklion, Greece.
  • Department of Physiology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Adolescence is a key developmental stage marked by physiological and behavioural changes. Eating behaviour, modifiable and sex-dependent, may be altered and linked to future health issues. This cross-sectional study aims to assess whether eating behaviours and body composition are associated in an adolescent sample.

METHODS

Participants aged 12.5-17.5 years were recruited from 10 European cities, with valid data on age, sex, socio-demographic status, body composition and physical activity and who had also completed the specific eating behaviour questionnaire "Eating Behaviour and Weight Problems Inventory for Children". Different linear regression models were adjusted for relevant confounders, and ANCOVA models were performed.

RESULTS

Eating Behaviours related to weight concerns, dietary restraint, emotional eating, fear of weight gain, healthy nutrition and figure dissatisfaction were strongly positively associated with higher Body Mass Index (BMI), Fat Mass Index (FMI) and Waist Circumference (WC), especially in males (betas resulting from the association between these behavioural subscales and body composition in males, ranged from 0.174 to 0.974 for BMI, 0.172 to 0.930 for FMI, and 0.128 to 0.889 for WC). The strongest association was detected in the weight concerns subscale for both males and females.

CONCLUSION

Eating behaviours across all domains are significantly linked to body composition, with variations depending on the specific behavioural domain and the adolescent's sex. These findings are critical for identifying specific behavioural patterns that contribute to obesity and related health issues, providing new insights for more targeted prevention strategies during this crucial stage of development.

MeSH

Cross-Sectional Studies, Eating, Body Composition, Adolescent, Sex, Nutritional Physiological Phenomena, Nutrition Disorders