Evaluation of executive functions in children and adolescents with obesity

The purpose of this study is to evaluation of executive functions of obese children and adolescents. Thirty children and adolescents with obesity between the ages of 11 and 18 and thirty age- and sex-matched healthy weight-peers were included. Participants with a body mass index (BMI) value of 5 to 85thpercentile and >95thpercentile were classified as normal and obese, respectively. Turkish Version of Kiddy Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL-T) was applied for excluding participants with psychiatric diagnoses. All children and their parents were asked to fill out Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), and Stroop Color and Word Test (SCWT) to evaluate executive functions. Children with obesity tended to complete Part 4 and Part 5 of SCWT in longer time (p = 0.043 and p = 0.018, respectively). Rate of obesity was higher among nuclear family members (p = 0.001) with a higher number of relatives positive for history of a psychiatric disorder (p = 0.020). While children with obesity reported higher rates of peer problems as measured by SDQ (p = 0.030), there was no significant difference in parent forms. In conclusion, although children with obesity may have disruptions in their executive functions to some degree, this does not refer a generalized impairment.