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Executive function, behavioral problems, and insulin resistance in adolescents with obesity

  • Ummugulsum Gundogdu ORCID logo EMAIL logo , Guliz Gurer and Mehtap Eroglu
Published/Copyright: April 19, 2023
Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism
From the journal Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism Volume 36 Issue 6

Abstract

Objectives

In this study, we examined executive function (EF) abilities, behavioral and emotional (BE) issues, and overall quality of life (QoL) of adolescents with obesity and compared them with a control group and also aimed to investigate whether the presence of insulin resistance (IR) is associated with these problems.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included a sample of 50 adolescents aged 11–18 years with obesity and age- and gender-matched 50 normal weight adolescents who had attended and were treated at the pediatric outpatient clinic. Sociodemographic data were collected through personal interviews with the adolescents and their parents. Measurements of the height and weight, fasting blood glucose, and insulin levels of all adolescents were assessed. In addition, the participants and their parents completed the Kiddo-KINDL, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and the Behavior Rating Inventory Scale from Executive Function.

Results

Of the 50 adolescents with obesity, 27 (54.0 %) were girls, and 23 (46.0 %) were boys, with a mean age of 14.06 ± 1.83 years. Adolescents with obesity have more EF deficiencies, BE difficulties, more problems in peer relationships and lower QoL scores than those without obesity. The QoL was worse in girls, adolescents with obesity, and those with IR. Adolescents with obesity and those with and without IR did not differ about EF deficiencies and BE problems.

Conclusions

Addressing these EF deficits and BE problems in interventions for adolescents who have difficulty adapting to lifestyle changes, an essential part of obesity treatment in clinical practice, may contribute to treatment success.

Keywords: adolescents; behavioral problems; executive functions; insulin resistance; obesity
Corresponding author: Ummugulsum Gundogdu, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Marmara University, Istanbul, Türkiye, Phone: +905544319125, E-mail:

  1. Research funding: None declared.

  2. Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.

  3. Competing interests: Authors state no conflict of interest.

  4. Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in this study.

  5. Ethical approval: The local Institutional Review Board deemed the study exempt from review.

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Received: 2022-10-08
Accepted: 2023-04-04
Published Online: 2023-04-19
Published in Print: 2023-06-27

© 2023 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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  2. Original Articles
  3. Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis of idiopathic central precocious puberty in pediatric females in New York City
  4. Genetic and clinical features of patients with intrahepatic cholestasis caused by citrin deficiency
  5. Unique clinical presentations and follow-up outcomes from experience with congenital disorders of glycosylation: PMM2-PGM1-DPAGT1-MPI-POMT2-B3GALNT2-DPM1-SRD5A3-CDG
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  7. Utility of apolipoprotein ratio in predicting metabolic risk and microvascular complications in Indian children and young adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus
  8. Evaluation of 700 patients referred with a preliminary diagnosis of biotinidase deficiency by the national newborn metabolic screening program: a single-center experience
  9. Adiponectin–leptin ratio as a marker of cardio-metabolic risk in Indian children and youth with type 1 diabetes
  10. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels at 7 years old and cardio-metabolic factors at 10 and 13 years old – the generation XXI birth cohort
  11. Turner syndrome: results of the first Tunisian study group on Turner syndrome (TuSGOT)
  12. Adolescents who practice physical activity have adequate food choices, regardless of the level of somatic maturation and adiposity
  13. Case Reports
  14. ABCC8-related maturity-onset diabetes of the young: switching from insulin to sulphonylurea therapy: how long do we need for a good metabolic control?
  15. Coexistence of Graves’ disease with acute rheumatic fever treated as thyroid storm in young Thai patient
  16. GM1 gangliosidosis: patients with different phenotypic features and novel mutations
  17. Novel sonic hedgehog gene variant in a patient with hyponatremia, microsomia, and midline defects; phenotype description in association with a variant of unknown significance [c.755_757del p.(Phe252del)] and an approach to salt-wasting in SHH-related adrenal disorders
https://doi.org/10.1515/jpem-2022-0510
Keywords for this article
adolescents; behavioral problems; executive functions; insulin resistance; obesity

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Original Articles
  3. Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis of idiopathic central precocious puberty in pediatric females in New York City
  4. Genetic and clinical features of patients with intrahepatic cholestasis caused by citrin deficiency
  5. Unique clinical presentations and follow-up outcomes from experience with congenital disorders of glycosylation: PMM2-PGM1-DPAGT1-MPI-POMT2-B3GALNT2-DPM1-SRD5A3-CDG
  6. Executive function, behavioral problems, and insulin resistance in adolescents with obesity
  7. Utility of apolipoprotein ratio in predicting metabolic risk and microvascular complications in Indian children and young adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus
  8. Evaluation of 700 patients referred with a preliminary diagnosis of biotinidase deficiency by the national newborn metabolic screening program: a single-center experience
  9. Adiponectin–leptin ratio as a marker of cardio-metabolic risk in Indian children and youth with type 1 diabetes
  10. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels at 7 years old and cardio-metabolic factors at 10 and 13 years old – the generation XXI birth cohort
  11. Turner syndrome: results of the first Tunisian study group on Turner syndrome (TuSGOT)
  12. Adolescents who practice physical activity have adequate food choices, regardless of the level of somatic maturation and adiposity
  13. Case Reports
  14. ABCC8-related maturity-onset diabetes of the young: switching from insulin to sulphonylurea therapy: how long do we need for a good metabolic control?
  15. Coexistence of Graves’ disease with acute rheumatic fever treated as thyroid storm in young Thai patient
  16. GM1 gangliosidosis: patients with different phenotypic features and novel mutations
  17. Novel sonic hedgehog gene variant in a patient with hyponatremia, microsomia, and midline defects; phenotype description in association with a variant of unknown significance [c.755_757del p.(Phe252del)] and an approach to salt-wasting in SHH-related adrenal disorders
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