Journal article
Children's executive functioning and health behaviors across pediatric life stages and ecological contexts
Journal of behavioral medicine, v 48(2), pp 230-250
Apr 2025
PMID: 39786706
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Executive functioning (EF) has been linked to chronic disease risk in children. Health behaviors are thought to partially explain this association. The current cross-sectional study evaluated specific domains of EF and varied health behaviors in three pediatric life stages. Pediatric participants (early childhood n = 2074, M
= 6.4 ± 0.9 y; middle childhood n = 3230, M
= 9.6 ± 1.2 y; adolescence n = 1416, M
= 15.2 ± 1.7 y) were part of the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program. They completed neurocognitive tasks measuring cognitive flexibility, behavioral inhibition, and working memory. Parent- and/or child-report measures of dietary intake, physical activity, sleep duration and quality, income, and positive parenting were also collected. Neighborhood crime and greenspace were calculated from publicly available census-tract level indices. After adjusting for study site, child body mass index, and demographics, working memory was related in the hypothesized direction to several dietary behaviors within all pediatric life stages. Working memory and cognitive flexibility were positively related to physical activity in middle childhood and adolescence. In adolescence, behavioral inhibition was positively related to physical activity and inversely related to sugar-sweetened beverage and total caloric intake. Associations with sleep were all non-significant. All significant associations reflected small effect sizes. Income, positive parenting, greenspace, and crime did not significantly influence any of the EF-health behavior associations. Findings highlight the need to consider EF domains, specific health behaviors, and developmental stage in creating intervention strategies that target EF to improve health behaviors. The small effect sizes reinforce the need for multi-tiered interventions to maximize health.
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Details
- Title
- Children's executive functioning and health behaviors across pediatric life stages and ecological contexts
- Creators
- Nichole R Kelly - Oregon Department of EducationDerek Kosty - University of OregonYosef Bodovski - Pennsylvania State UniversityCourtney K Blackwell - Northwestern UniversityJody M Ganiban - George Washington UniversityJenae M Neiderhiser - Department of Psychology, Penn State University, University Park, PA, USADana Dabelea - Colorado School of Public HealthDiane Gilbert-Diamond - Dartmouth CollegeJudy L Aschner - Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USATheresa M Bastain - University of North Carolina at Chapel HillCarrie V Breton - University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusNicole R Bush - University of Southern CaliforniaCatrina A Calub - University of California, DavisCarlos A Camargo - Massachusetts General HospitalMarie Camerota - Brown UniversityLisa A Croen - Kaiser PermanenteAmy J Elliott - Avera HealthMichelle Bosquet Enlow - Boston Children's HospitalAssiamira Ferrara - Kaiser PermanenteTina Hartert - Vanderbilt UniversityRobert M Joseph - Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USAMargaret R Karagas - Dartmouth CollegeRachel S Kelly - Brigham and Women's HospitalKristen Lyall - Drexel University, Epidemiology and BiostatisticsKelsey E Magee - University of PittsburghCindy T McEvoy - Oregon Health & Science UniversityFrancheska M Merced-Nieves - Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiThomas G O'Connor - University of Rochester Medical CenterSara Santarossa - Henry Ford Health SystemSusan L Schantz - University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignRebecca J Schmidt - University of California, DavisJoseph B Stanford - University of UtahJennifer K Straughen - Department of Public Health Sciences, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, MI, USAAnnemarie Stroustrup - Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNicole M Talge - Michigan State UniversityRosalind J Wright - Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiQi Zhao - Department of Preventive Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine, Memphis, TN, USALeslie D Leve - Department of Counseling Psychology and Human Services, Prevention Science Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USAprogram collaborators for Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes
- Publication Details
- Journal of behavioral medicine, v 48(2), pp 230-250
- Grant note
- UG3 OD035546 / NIH HHS UH3OD023365 / NIH Office of the Director UG3/UH30D023275 / NIH Office of the Director K01AI070606 / NIH HHS UH3 OD023313 / NIH HHS R01 AI050681 / NIAID NIH HHS R21 AI059415 / NIAID NIH HHS UH3 OD023365 / NIH HHS UH3 OD023271 / NIH HHS UH3 OD023268 / NIH HHS
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- A.J. Drexel Autism Institute
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001392698300001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85217526242
- Other Identifier
- 991022018196104721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Psychology, Clinical