Hyperactivity in preschool age is associated with higher fat-free mass and healthy lifestyle behaviours five years later: A longitudinal study of Swedish children.

Background: There is evidence for a link between hyperactivity and obesity, especially among older children. Both conditions seem to be multifactorial in origin and hypotheses of common underlying issues, such as emotional dysregulation, have been suggested. However, studies of the co-occurrence of the two conditions in younger age groups have been inconclusive.

Objectives: We aimed to study the longitudinal associations of psychological strengths and difficulties at 4 years of age with health behaviours, body composition, physical fitness, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors 5 years later.

Methods: Parents of 226 4-year-old children filled out the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). At 9 years of age, we assessed health behaviours, physical fitness, body composition, and CVD risk factors. Associations were examined with linear regression models that were adjusted for sex, age of the child at 9, and maternal education.

Results: In the adjusted models, hyperactivity at 4 was associated with higher fat-free mass (β = 0.18, p = 0.007) and lower levels of sedentary behaviour (β -0.14, p = 0.043) at 9 years. Furthermore, greater emotional problems at 4 were associated with lower intake of fruit and vegetables (β -0.14, p = 0.038) at 9 years. However, there were no statistically significant associations between psychological difficulties and fat-mass index.

Conclusions: Our novel data provide no evidence of an association between hyperactivity in preschool age and obesity or obesity-related behaviours in school age. Future studies examining how psychological factors relate to obesity development should consider a developmental perspective.