The effect of food addiction in children on obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis study

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to analyze the effect of food addiction in children on obesity.
METHODS: A comprehensive literature review was conducted between January 2013 and July 2019 (Pubmed, PsycINFO, EBSCOHost, ScienceDirect, BioMed Central, Embase/Elsevier, Google Scholar). The keywords “child”, “adolescent”, “obesity”, “food addiction”, “eating behaviors”, and “food addiction scale for children” were used during the search process. The selected articles were examined in detail by two independent reviewers, and the methodological quality of the studies to be included in the study was evaluated using the Joanna Briggs Institute Meta-Analysis Statistical Appraisal and Review Tool (JBI-MAStARI Critical Appraisal Tool). General effect size, tests of heterogeneity, publication bias, and sensitivity analyses were performed with the random-effects model. The Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 3 software package was used for data analysis.
RESULTS: As a result of the test of heterogeneity, studies falling within food addiction in children sub-dimension were determined to show heterogeneous characteristics (Q = 74.109, I2 = 83.80, p <0.01). The result of the publication bias test indicated the presence of publication bias. The overall effect size value of all studies, which was found using the random-effects model, was determined as 0.346 (95% CI), a value between the 0.152-0.539 confidence interval. According to the random-effects model, food addiction was found to have a positive and moderate effect size on obesity when the average effect sizes within a 95% confidence interval were considered. Accordingly, food addiction was determined to significantly affect obesity in children (p <0.05).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: In this study, food addiction in children was determined to affect the prevalence of obesity in children.