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abstract: The body is capable of regulating hunger in several ways. Some of these hunger regulation methods are innate, such as genetics, and some, such as the responses to stress and to the smell of food, are innate but can be affected by body conditions such as BMI and physical activity. Further, some hunger regulation methods stem from learned behaviors originating from cultural pressures or parenting styles. These latter regulation methods for hunger can be grouped into the categories: emotion, environment, and physical. The factors that regulate hunger can also influence the incidence of disordered eating, such as eating in the absence of hunger (EAH). Eating in the absence of hunger can occur in one of two scenarios, continuous EAH or beginning EAH. College students are at a particularly high risk for EAH and weight gain due to stress, social pressures, and the constant availability of energy dense and nutrient poor food options. The purpose of this study is to validate a modified EAH-C survey in college students and to discover which of the three latent factors (emotion, environment, physical) best predicts continual and beginning EAH. To do so, a modified EAH-C survey, with additional demographic components, was administered to students at a major southwest university. This survey contained two questions, one each for continuing and beginning EAH, regarding 14 factors related to emotional, physical, or environmental reasons that may trigger EAH. The results from this study revealed that the continual and beginning EAH surveys displayed good internal consistency reliability. We found that for beginning and continuing EAH, although emotion is the strongest predictor of EAH, all three latent factors are significant predictors of EAH. In addition, we found that environmental factors had the greatest influence on an individual's likelihood to continue to eat in the absence of hunger. Due to statistical abnormalities and differing numbers of factors in each category, we were unable to determine which of the three factors exerted the greatest influence on an individual's likelihood to begin eating in the absence of hunger. These results can be utilized to develop educational tools aimed at reducing EAH in college students, and ultimately reducing the likelihood for unhealthy weight gain and health complications related to obesity. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Nutrition 2013

Contexte : L’obésité est une problématique multifactorielle qui peut s’accompagner d’un lot de complications autant chez les enfants que chez les adultes. Certains comportements alimentaires ont été associés à l’obésité pédiatrique, comme manger en absence de faim (MAF). Or, les déterminants de MAF n’ont pas tous été élucidés, en partie parce que ce comportement est difficile à évaluer. Objectifs : Le premier objectif est d’effectuer une revue systématique sur les déterminants individuels, familiaux et environnementaux de MAF chez les enfants et les adolescents âgés de 3 à 17 ans. Le deuxième objectif est de valider une traduction française d’un questionnaire permettant de mesurer MAF chez les enfants québécois de 7 à 15 ans. Méthodes : Pour la revue systématique (objectif #1), les critères d’éligibilité incluaient, entre autres, une population pédiatrique (3 à 17 ans) et l’évaluation d’au moins un facteur associé à MAF. Pour la validation transculturelle du questionnaire (objectif #2), des garçons et des filles âgés de 7 à 15 ans ont rempli le questionnaire à deux reprises dans un intervalle de 4 semaines. Nous avons évalué la validité de construit (structure et association avec le score z d’IMC) et la fidélité du questionnaire (cohérence interne et stabilité temporelle). Résultats : La synthèse des 81 articles inclus dans la revue systématique a révélé que chez les enfants, MAF était positivement associé à l’âge, à l’adiposité et à la présence de l’allèle A du gène FTO (fat mass and obesity associated gene). MAF semblait également davantage présent les garçons que chez les filles, mais certains facteurs familiaux, comme l’utilisation de pratiques parentales restrictives, étaient davantage associés à la présence de MAF chez les filles. MAF semble se stabiliser et persister à l’adolescence. L’étude sur la validation du questionnaire a montré que le questionnaire traduit possède une structure similaire à celle du questionnaire original. Chacune des 3 dimensions (émotions négatives, la fatigue ou l’ennui et les facteurs externes) avait une cohérence interne et une stabilité adéquate et MAF en réponse aux émotions négatives était associé à un score z d’IMC plus élevé. Conclusion : Ce mémoire contribuera au développement des connaissances sur le comportement MAF chez les enfants et les adolescents, en faisant le point sur les facteurs qui sont associés à MAF et en fournissant un outil permettant de mesurer facilement MAF en français / Background: Obesity is a multifactorial problematic which can lead to a variety of complications in both children and adults. Eating behaviors have been associated with obesity during childhood, such as eating in the absence of hunger (EAH). However, not all determinants of EAH have been elucidated, in part because this behavior is difficult to assess. Objectives: The first objective is to conduct a systematic review of the literature on individual, familial and environmental factors associated with EAH in children and adolescents aged 3-17 years old. The second objective is to perform a transcultural validation of a French translation of a questionnaire for the assessment of EAH in children and adolescents aged 7-15 years old. Methods: For the systematic review (objective #1), eligibility criteria for the study selection included a pediatric population (3-17 years of age) and evaluation of at least one factor potentially associated with EAH. For the transcultural validation of the questionnaire (objective #2), boys and girls aged 7-15 years old completed the questionnaire twice within 4 weeks. We assessed construct validity (structural validity and associations with BMI z-score) and reliability (internal consistency and temporal stability) of the questionnaire. Results: Synthesis of the 81 included studies in this systematic review revealed that among children, EAH is positively associated with age, with adiposity and with the presence of the A allele of the FTO gene (fat mass and obesity associated gene. This behavior is also more prevalent among boys than girls, but some familial factors, such as parental restrictive feeding practices, were associated with more EAH in girls. EAH also appears to remain present into adolescence. The transcultural validation revealed that the French translated version of the questionnaire had a similar structure compared to the original questionnaire. All dimensions (negative affect, fatigue/boredom and external cues) had an adequate internal consistency and temporal stability and EAH in response to negative affect was associated with a higher BMI z-score. Conclusions: This dissertation will contribute to fill the knowledge gaps about EAH in children and adolescents, by identifying factors associated with EAH and by providing a tool to easily measure EAH in French.