Eating behaviors and alexithymic features of obese and overweight adolescents

Background In this study, eating behaviors and alexithymia levels in obese adolescents were investigated. Relationships between alexithymia, eating behavior and insulin resistance were studied. Methods The patient group consisted of 87 obese adolescents or overweight adolescents (O + OW). The comparison group consisted of 101 normal weight adolescents (N). Alexithymia Questionnaire for Children, Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire, and Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale-Child Version, are used for assessing adolescents. The homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance was calculated to determine insulin resistance. Results Alexithymia Questionnaire for Children scores were significantly higher in O + OW than N (P = 0.009). Both emotional and restrained eating scores are higher in O + OW (P < 0.001 for both). On the other hand, external eating scores were not significantly different. In O + OW, external eating was positively associated with homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance (r: 035, P = 0.006), but is not associated with fasting blood glucose and the hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) (r: -0.05, P = 0.62; r: -0.05, P = 0.73). Regression analysis showed that restrained and emotional eating were predictors of O + OW (B: 0.1, P < 0.001; B: 0.06, P = 0.001). Emotional eating was positively correlated with the Alexithymia Questionnaire for Children and Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale-Child Version in O + OW (r: 0.29, P = 0.008; r: 0.48, P < 0.001). Conclusions Obese and overweight adolescents were more alexithymic than normal weight adolescents. Alexithymia scores were also positively associated with emotional eating. On the other hand, alexithymia was not a predictor of obesity/overweight. Restrained and emotional eating were predictors of obesity/overweight. Emotional and restrained eating were more common in obese and overweight adolescents than normal-weight adolescents. External eating is not significantly associated with obesity but is related to insulin resistance

Transcultural differences in suicide attempts among children and adolescents with and without migration background, a multicentre study: in Vienna, Berlin, Istanbul

While suicide can occur throughout the lifespan, worldwide suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people aged between 15 and 29 years. The aim of this multicentre study, conducted in Austria, Germany and Turkey, is to investigate the transcultural differences of suicide attempts among children and adolescents with and without migration background. The present study is a retrospective analyses of the records of 247 young people, who were admitted after a suicide attempt to Emergency Outpatient Clinics of Departments of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry of the collaborating Universities including Medical University of Vienna, Charite University Medicine Berlin and Cerrahpasa School of Medicine and Bakirkoy Training and Research Hospital for Mental Health in Istanbul over a 3-year period. The results of the present study show significant transcultural differences between minors with and without migration background in regard to triggering reasons, method of suicide attempts and psychiatric diagnosis. The trigger event "intra-familial conflicts" and the use of "low-risk methods" for their suicide attempt were more frequent among patients with migration background. Moreover among native parents living in Vienna and Berlin divorce of parents were more frequent compared to parents living in Istanbul and migrants in Vienna. These results can be partly explained by cultural differences between migrants and host society. Also disadvantages in socio-economic situations of migrants and their poorer access to the healthcare system can mostly lead to acute and delayed treatments. Larger longitudinal studies are needed to understand better the impact of migration on the suicidal behaviour of young people

Comparison of Cognitive and Behavioural Problems and Psychiatric Diagnoses in Preterm Born Children between 6-13 Years Old

Introduction: Despite the increased survival rates follow up studies of preterm born children have documented increased prevalence of neurodevelopmental disabilities and cognitive deficits. By using psychiatric assessment, we aimed to evaluate cognitive functions by comparing preterm born babies according to the week of gestation by comparing the scores of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised Form (WISC-R) in childhood. Material and methods: Children with a history of birth as preterm babies between 1998-2004 were included in the study. The children born between 27-36 weeks, currently 6-13 years old were admitted to the study. The controls consisted of healthy children chosen from the nearest primary school. The WISC-R test was administered to all children. Classification was made according to gestational age. The comparison of cognitive functions was performed by comparing the WISC-R scores of the preterm group and the control group. Results: 238 children were included in our prospective study. (case group: 175 children, control group: 63 children). Because of the comparison of the WISC-R scores of the preterm and control groups, the WISC-R verbal score and WISC-R total score were found to be statistically significant between the preterm and control groups. In the analysis made according to the gestation age, no statistical significance was found between the WISC-R Verbal, WISC-R performance, and WISC-R total scores according to the week of gestation. No statistically significant difference was found in terms of previous and current psychiatric diagnoses. Conclusions: While the WISC-R score was, found to be statistically significantly higher in the case group compared to controls. Our results differed from those in the literature that preterm children had a lower WISC-R score and it indicates the need to investigate this situation by further studies, even by different tests