Food- and Exercise-Related Emotions Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Food- and Exercise-Related Emotional Expectancies in Youth with Long-Term Conditions
IRAS ID
331043
Contact name
Jenna Cummings
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Liverpool
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 31 days
Research summary
Novel insight regarding dietary intake and exercise in youth with long-term conditions (e.g., obesity, rheumatic conditions) is paramount to improving prognosis. Expectancy theory posits that memories of emotional effects of behaviour, known as “emotional expectancies,” impact future behaviour. For example, after experiencing strong positive emotions when eating cake, one may expect this outcome and be predisposed to overeat cake. In support of this theory, randomised controlled trials demonstrate changing emotional expectancies decreases health-compromising behaviour in adults. Expectancy theory is highly relevant to youth behaviour because, during childhood and adolescence, neuroplasticity is high, emotions robustly guide learning, and lifelong behaviour patterns emerge. However, the role of emotional expectancies in youth dietary intake and exercise is unknown. To fill this critical gap, the objective is to examine associations of food- and exercise-related emotional expectancies with dietary intake and exercise in youth with long-term conditions.
The approach is cross-sectional. Participants will be approximately 140 youth patients ages 6-18 years treated at the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and their caregivers. Caregivers will provide informed consent for themselves and their youth and youth will provide assent. The research assistant will administer age-appropriate free-word-association and Likert scales to assess positive and negative food- and exercise-related emotional expectancies in youth. Caregivers will complete gold-standard modified Food Frequency and International Physical Activity Questionnaires about youth dietary intake and physical activity, and reliable and valid Comprehensive Feeding Practices and Activity-Related Parenting Practices Questionnaires about feeding and activity-related childrearing practices.
Data will be analysed using regressions to test hypotheses: in youth, (a) stronger positive emotional expectancies about eating nutrient-poor foods (e.g., cake) and negative emotional expectancies about eating nutrient-rich foods (e.g., carrots) will predict lower diet quality and (b) stronger positive emotional expectancies about exercise will predict greater exercise frequency. Identifying cognitive-emotional determinants of youth dietary intake and exercise will advance our understanding of modifiable influences on these behaviours and elucidate avenues for more effective interventions.
REC name
North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/NW/0299
Date of REC Opinion
3 Oct 2023
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion