William James Center for Research, ISPA-Instituto Universitário, 1149-041 Lisboa, Portugal.
Human Development and Family Studies, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL 61801, USA.
Nutrients. 2021 Oct 12;13(10):3572. doi: 10.3390/nu13103572.
Increasing evidence suggests that attachment plays an important role in obesity. However, few studies examined this relationship in preschool children. This study aimed to systematically examine the empirical, peer-reviewed evidence regarding the relationship between attachment quality and obesity in the preschool years. Using established guidelines, relevant peer-reviewed literature published between 2000 and July 2021 was searched through EBSCO. This yielded a total of 1124 records for review. Established inclusion criteria comprised: empirical studies published in peer-review journals; include at least one anthropometric measure and/or food consumption measure. Exclusion criteria comprised: attachment measures not following Bowlby-Ainsworth conceptualization of the construct; children in institutionalized settings; context of severe mental illness, documented substance use disorders, or eating disorders; include only a measure of the psychological aspects of eating; intervention programs. After exclusions, eight studies with a total of 9225 participants met the inclusion criteria. Results support the role of attachment in weight-related outcomes, suggesting that considering attachment in the risk of obesity could contribute to the elaboration of effective prevention and intervention programs. Limitations included the small number of studies, predominately cross-sectional designs, the diversity of methodologies, most samples not including fathers, and lack of evidence about the developmental mechanisms underlying the association between attachment and obesity. More evidence is needed to determine how attachment and obesity are linked, and the potential underlying mechanisms accounting for this relationship.
越来越多的证据表明，依恋在肥胖中起着重要作用。然而，很少有研究在学龄前儿童中检验这种关系。本研究旨在系统地检查关于学龄前儿童依恋质量与肥胖之间关系的实证、同行评议证据。使用既定的指南，通过 EBSCO 搜索了 2000 年至 2021 年 7 月期间发表的相关同行评议文献。这共产生了 1124 条记录进行审查。既定的纳入标准包括：发表在同行评议期刊上的实证研究；至少包括一项人体测量指标和/或食物消耗指标。排除标准包括：不符合 Bowlby-Ainsworth 对该结构概念化的依恋措施；在机构环境中的儿童；严重精神疾病、有记录的药物使用障碍或饮食失调的背景；仅包括饮食心理方面的测量；干预计划。排除后，共有八项研究，总计 9225 名参与者符合纳入标准。研究结果支持依恋在与体重相关的结果中的作用，表明在肥胖风险中考虑依恋可以为制定有效的预防和干预计划做出贡献。研究的局限性包括研究数量较少、主要是横断面设计、方法多样性、大多数样本不包括父亲，以及缺乏关于依恋和肥胖之间关联的潜在发展机制的证据。需要更多的证据来确定依恋和肥胖是如何联系的，以及解释这种关系的潜在机制。
