J Korean Neuropsychiatr Assoc.  2003 Sep;42(5):600-607.

The Relationship between Psychologic Factors and Motivation for Weight Loss in Childhood Obesity

• Cheon KA
• Bae SC
• Lee DH
• Namkoong K

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between the psychosocial variables such as emotional, character and motivation factors for weight loss in children with obesity.
METHODS
Thirty seven children between the ages of 7 and 12 who had entered the summer camp pngram for childhood obesity and their parents participated in this study. The questionnaire for eating habit and life style of the child, the Child Behavioral Checklist (CBCL), and the Child Character Inventory (CCI) were completed by parents. The children with obesity completed the Child Depression Inventory (CDI) and the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI). We evaluated their motivation to lose weight with the Weight Loss Readiness Test (WLRT). Then, we analyzed correlation between the psychological variables and the items of the WLRT.
RESULTS
The 'emotional instability' in the CBCL was correlated significantly with the item of 'emotional eating' of the WLRT (r=0.336, p=0.042), and the 'vharm avoidance' of the CCI was negatively correlated significantly with the item of 'exercise patterns and attitudes' of the WLRT (r=-0.047, p=0.014). However, no significant correlation was found between each of the severity scores of the depressive symptoms assessed with the CDI and the other psychological variables, and each of the six items of the WLRT.
CONCLUSION
Our findings suggest that the emotional instability and the 'harm avoidance' of the CCI of the children are related to the motivation for weight loss in childhood obesity.

Keyword

Childhood obesity; Psychologic factors; Motivation for weight loss

MeSH Terms

Checklist
Child
Child Behavior
Depression
Eating
Humans
Life Style
Motivation*
Obesity
Parents
Pediatric Obesity*
Surveys and Questionnaires
Weight Loss*