Efeito de distratores e da fisiologia oral sobre a ingestão alimentar de escolares: um estudo randomizado

Abstract

Distraction during meals contributes to increased caloric intake in adults, potentially raising the risk of obesity. Behaviors initiated and maintained during childhood are highly likely to persist into adulthood. Thus, this study investigated the impact of distraction caused by smartphone use and reading on the food consumption of schoolchildren aged 10 to 12 years. One hundred and twenty students from public and private schools participated in experimental meal sessions. Individual parameters such as sex, age, body mass index (BMI), and eating habits were assessed during the first session. In subsequent sessions, participants consumed standardized meals either without distraction, while using a smartphone, or while reading comic books, in random order. During each session, the Children's Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (CTFEQr-21) was administered to assess eating behavior. At the end of each meal, the total caloric intake (in kilocalories) was measured. It was observed that caloric intake during all experimental meals was higher for males and public school students (p>0.05), with an influence on the CTFEQr-21 Uncontrolled Eating scores during the distraction-free session. Performance, the number of chewing cycles, and the time until the desire to swallow were similar for boys and girls and across school types (p>0.05). Cognitive Restraint behavior, the number of teeth, and being male positively influenced Body Mass Index (BMI), while Uncontrolled Eating behavior had a negative effect (p<0.05). In conclusion, the presence of distractors did not significantly influence the caloric intake of children aged 10 to 12 years. The main factors affecting caloric intake were being male and attending a public school. BMI was influenced by being male, the number of teeth, and eating behavior.