Relationships of cognitive load on eating and weight-related behaviors of young adults

Eating behaviors associated with weight gain among university students worldwide and treatment interventions: A systematic review

Introduction: Emerging adulthood has been described as a period of risk for body weight gain. Several studies have indicated that the positive or negative health behaviors established during this stage, tend to prevail the rest of life. However, there are discrepancies in published studies on weight change in freshmen and there are disagreements on weight gain predictors. The present study reviewed the literature with the aim of knowing the eating behaviors associated with weight gain in university students. Method: A systematic search was conducted in three databases according to the PRISMA method during the months of February to November 2020. Results: 20 articles were included in the review. The main behaviors associated with weight gain were the consumption of sugary drinks, alcohol consumption, low consumption of vegetables and fruits, frequent self-consumption, eating unhealthy and low levels of food regulation.

Tunneling, cognitive load and time orientation and their relations with dietary behavior of people experiencing financial scarcity - an AI-assisted scoping review elaborating on scarcity theory

BACKGROUND

The concept of a financial scarcity mindset has raised much attention as an explanation for poor decision-making and dysfunctional behavior. It has been suggested that financial scarcity could also impair dietary behavior, through a decline in self-control. Underlying cognitive mechanisms of tunneling (directing attention to financial issues and neglecting other demands), cognitive load (a tax on mental bandwidth interfering with executive functioning) and time orientation (a shift towards a present time horizon, versus a future time horizon) may explain the association between financial scarcity and self-control related dietary behavior. The current scoping review gathers recent evidence on how these mechanisms affect dietary behavior of people experiencing financial scarcity. It builds on a theoretical framework based on insights from behavioral economics and health psychology.

METHODS

A literature search was executed in six online databases, which resulted in 9.975 papers. Search terms were tunneling, cognitive load and time orientation, financial scarcity, and dietary behavior. Screening was performed with ASReview, an AI-ranking tool. In total, 14 papers were included in the scoping review. We used PRISMA-ScR guidelines for reporting.

RESULTS

Limited evidence indicates that a scarcity mindset could increase tunneling, through attentional narrowing on costs of food, which then directly impacts dietary behavior. A scarcity mindset involves experiencing financial stress, which can be understood as cognitive load. Cognitive load decreases attentional capacity, which could impair self-control in dietary choices. Financial scarcity is related to a present time orientation, which affects dietary choices by shifting priorities and decreasing motivation for healthy dietary behavior.

CONCLUSIONS

A scarcity mindset affects dietary behavior in different ways. Tunneling and a shift in time orientation are indicative of an attentional redirection, which can be seen as more adaptive to the situation. These may be processes indirectly affecting self-control capacity. Cognitive load could decrease self-control capacity needed for healthy dietary behavior because it consumes mental bandwidth. How a changing time orientation when experiencing financial scarcity relates to motivation for self-control in dietary behavior is a promising theme for further inquiry.

Influences of cognitive load on center of pressure trajectory of young male adults with excess weight during gait initiation

Introduction: Falls and fall-related injuries in young male adults with excess weight are closely related to an increased cognitive load. Previous research mainly focuses on analyzing the postural control status of these populations performing cognitive tasks while stabilized walking progress but overlooked a specific period of walking known as gait initiation (GI). It is yet unknown the influences of cognitive load on this population's postural control status during GI. Objective: This study aimed to determine the influences of cognitive load on the center of pressure (CoP) trajectory of young male adults with excess weight during GI. Design: A controlled laboratory study. Methods: Thirty-six male undergraduate students were recruited and divided into normal-weight, overweight, and obese groups based on their body mass index (BMI). Participants' CoP parameters during GI under single and dual-task conditions were collected by two force platforms. A mixed ANOVA was utilized to detect significant differences. Results: Compared with the normal-weight group, the obese group showed significant changes in the duration and CoP parameters during sub-phases of GI, mainly reflecting prolonged duration, increased CoP path length, higher mediolateral CoP displacement amplitude, and decreased velocity of anteroposterior CoP displacement. During GI with 1-back task, significantly increased mediolateral CoP displacement amplitude occurred in the obese group. During GI with 2-back task, the obese group had increased CoP path length, higher mediolateral CoP displacement amplitude, as well as a decreased velocity of CoP displacement. Conclusion: Based on the changes in CoP parameters during GI with cognitive tasks, young male adults with excess weight, mainly obese ones, have compromised postural stability. During GI with a difficult cognitive task, obese young male adults are more susceptible to deterioration in their lateral postural balance. These findings indicate that the increased cognitive load could exacerbate obese young male adults' postural control difficulty during GI under dual-task conditions, putting them at a higher risk of experiencing incidents of falls. Based on these findings, we offer suggestions for therapists to intervene with these young male adults to ensure their safety of GI.

Food Choices after Cognitive Load: An Affective Computing Approach

Psychology and nutritional science research has highlighted the impact of negative emotions and cognitive load on calorie consumption behaviour using subjective questionnaires. Isolated studies in other domains objectively assess cognitive load without considering its effects on eating behaviour. This study aims to explore the potential for developing an integrated eating behaviour assistant system that incorporates cognitive load factors. Two experimental sessions were conducted using custom-developed experimentation software to induce different stimuli. During these sessions, we collected 30 h of physiological, food consumption, and affective states questionnaires data to automatically detect cognitive load and analyse its effect on food choice. Utilising grid search optimisation and leave-one-subject-out cross-validation, a support vector machine model achieved a mean classification accuracy of 85.12% for the two cognitive load tasks using eight relevant features. Statistical analysis was performed on calorie consumption and questionnaire data. Furthermore, 75% of the subjects with higher negative affect significantly increased consumption of specific foods after high-cognitive-load tasks. These findings offer insights into the intricate relationship between cognitive load, affective states, and food choice, paving the way for an eating behaviour assistant system to manage food choices during cognitive load. Future research should enhance system capabilities and explore real-world applications.

Psychometric Properties of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-Mini in United States University Students

Background: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is common in young adults, yet few studies have established the psychometric properties of the GAD-7 screener in college students. Methods: A secondary analysis of three studies was conducted to determine GAD-7 factor structure stability, create a GAD-Mini version using standard procedures, and evaluate the psychometric properties, validity, sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of both versions in young adults. Results: Exploratory and confirmatory principal components analysis indicated the GAD-7 has a single factor structure with strong loadings, reliability, and stability across data collected in three studies. Data from all studies met criteria indicative of good to excellent model fit. Iterative confirmatory principal components analyses revealed the most parsimonious group of items that maintained scale unidimensionality, strong loadings, and high reliability was two items (not able to stop or control worrying and worried too much). Both the GAD-7 and GAD-Mini exhibited good construct and convergent validity. Specificity, sensitivity, and negative predictive value were high, and positive predictive value was moderate to high for the GAD-Mini. Conclusions: The GAD-Mini is a psychometrically sound tool that can serve as a step toward universal screening in clinical practice and contribute to early treatment and improved health outcomes for GAD.

Evaluating an Interactive Digital Intervention for College Weight Gain Prevention

OBJECTIVE

Pilot a digital interactive intervention for weight gain prevention among college students.

METHODS

One sample pre-post study reporting on initial usability and changes in theoretical constructs (ie, self-efficacy, behavioral capability, elaboration) and program acceptability. Twenty college freshmen (mean age, 18.25 ± 0.72 years) reviewed a digital program providing self-assessment and brief tailored feedback on 8 behaviors that relate to a healthy weight: physical activity, sedentary behavior, and consumption of sugary beverages, high fat snacks, breakfast, fried foods, fruits and vegetables, and pizza.

RESULTS

At posttest, improvements in self-efficacy were found for 5 behaviors (ie, physical activity, high fat snacks, breakfast, fried foods, fruits and vegetables); improvements in behavioral capability were found for 3 behaviors (ie, high fat snacks, fried foods, and fruits and vegetables). Acceptability benchmarks included: positive impression (60%), relevance (95%), and ease of comprehension (75%).

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

This program demonstrates acceptability for a digital weight gain prevention intervention, with improvements in behavioral mediators of change. Suggestions to simplify messaging and allowing for user control may enhance acceptability and comprehension. There is a need for further testing with larger more diverse populations before broader implementation by universities to address student health.

Stomaching rejection: Self-compassion and self-esteem moderate the impact of daily social rejection on restrictive eating behaviours among college women

OBJECTIVE

The present study examined whether having high self-esteem or a self-compassionate perspective help mitigate the impact of daily social rejection on negative affect and restrictive eating behaviours.

DESIGN

Following a baseline survey assessing self-esteem and self-compassion, 121 college women completed online daily diaries for one week.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Negative affect and restrictive eating behaviours.

RESULTS

On days when women reported more rejection, they also reported higher restrictive eating behaviours and greater negative affect. Effects were moderated by self-esteem and self-compassion, such that the lower participants were in self-esteem or self-compassion, the stronger the positive relation between rejection and negative affect and restrictive eating. However, only the common humanity/isolation dimension of self-compassion significantly moderated daily effects of rejection when controlling for self-esteem. Mediated moderation results reveal different mechanisms by which self-esteem and self-compassion buffer against rejections' effects on affect and restrictive eating.

CONCLUSION

Self-compassion and self-esteem influence the complex impact that social rejection has on affect and restrictive eating. More than other dimensions of self-compassion or self-esteem, remembering one's common humanity can result in a healthier response to social rejection.

The Weight-Related Eating Questionnaire offers a concise alternative to the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire for measuring eating behaviors related to weight loss

OBJECTIVE

During a one-year weight loss trial, we compared the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ), a valid 51-item measure of restraint, disinhibition, and hunger subscales, with the newer 16-item Weight-Related Eating Questionnaire (WREQ) measuring routine and compensatory restraint and external and emotional eating.

METHODS

Both questionnaires were administered to women with overweight or obesity (n = 186, mean ± SD, age 50 ± 10.6 y, BMI 34 ± 4.2 kg/m²) at five time points. Completion rates were 100% at baseline and Month 1, 94% at Month 3, 83% at Month 6, and 76% at Month 12. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on baseline WREQ data and correlations were calculated between TFEQ and WREQ subscales. Multilevel models evaluated the relationship between each subscale and weight change over time.

RESULTS

Factor analysis revealed a WREQ structure consistent with previous research, and corresponding subscales on the TFEQ and WREQ were correlated. Lower baseline TFEQ restraint predicted greater weight loss. Across five administrations, TFEQ and WREQ restraint scores were positively related to weight loss (p < 0.01) and TFEQ disinhibition and WREQ external and emotional eating scores were negatively related (p < 0.001). Thus, with one baseline administration, only TFEQ restraint was significantly related to weight change, but multiple administrations showed relationships between all TFEQ and WREQ subscales and weight change.

CONCLUSIONS

The WREQ offers a shorter alternative to the TFEQ when repeatedly assessing eating behaviors related to weight change.