Promoting Child Inhibitory Control Skills around Food

描述（由申请人提供）：今天的环境提供了许多享乐刺激，促进了不健康的能量密集的零食的消费。人们普遍认识到，处理这一复杂问题需要系统的方法。然而，个人，特别是儿童，也需要发展个人能力来处理诱人的刺激和抑制对这些高能量食物的反应。因此，在本研究中，我们将专注于提高更高层次的执行功能，特别是抑制控制，这是平衡冲动行为所必需的，对生长和发育至关重要。我们选择重点研究学龄前儿童的抑制性控制，因为执行功能/抑制性控制和饮食习惯都是在这个时期发展起来的。在学龄前儿童中，抑制性控制是通过以社交游戏为基础的课程培养的，研究发现，抑制性控制与更好的入学准备和学术技能有关。因此，本提案的目标是调整以游戏为基础的课程，即心智工具计划，以提高学龄前儿童的抑制控制技能，并减少高能量零食的消费。在第一阶段，我们将在4- 6岁的儿童中开发和试点儿童抑制控制游戏项目（CHIC Play）。我们将调整《心智工具》课程中使用的学习工具，并采用自然的游戏场景、绘画（视觉支持）和游戏来教孩子们抑制他们对高能量零食的反应。一旦开发出来，我们将在学前环境中测试CHIC Play的功效。还将组织家长小组，以支持在家中采用这些技能。研究的主要结果是热量摄入和年龄和性别调整后的每日热量摄入百分比，这是通过在没有饥饿的情况下自由进食程序和零食时间程序测量的。抑制性控制技能也将通过执行功能任务来衡量。该计划的可行性和可接受性将通过对家长、孩子和老师的调查来确定。本研究的目的是通过促进抑制控制或冲动控制的发展，开发一种新的创新方法来减少能量密集的休闲食品消费。如果成功，这个项目有可能在治疗和预防儿童肥胖方面发挥作用。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Today's environment provides many hedonic stimuli that promote consumption of unhealthy energy-dense snack foods. It is widely recognized that a systems approach is required to deal with this complex problem. However, individuals, particularly children, also need to develop the personal capacity to deal with tempting stimuli and inhibit responses to these energy-dense foods. Therefore in this proposal, we will focus on enhancing higher level executive functions, particularly inhibitory control, which is needed to counterbalance impulsive behavior and is crucial for growth and development. We have chosen to focus on developing inhibitory control in preschool-age children because executive functioning/inhibitory control and eating habits are developing at this time. Among preschool-age children, inhibitory control is fostered through social play-based curriculums and has been found to be related to greater school readiness and academic skills. Therefore, the goal of this proposal is to adapt a play-based curriculum, the Tools of the Mind program, to promote greater inhibitory control skills in preschool children and decrease consumption of energy-dense snack foods. In Phase I, we will develop and pilot a Child Inhibitory Control Play-based Program (CHIC Play) among children age 4- to 6-years old. We will adapt the learning tools used in the Tools of the Mind curriculum and employ naturalistic play scenarios, drawings (visual support), and games to teach children to inhibit their responses to energy-dense snack foods. Once developed, we will test the efficacy of CHIC Play in the preschool setting. Parent groups will also be conducted to support the adoption of these skills at home. The primary outcome of interest is caloric intake and age- and gender-adjusted percent of daily caloric intake as measured by the Eating in the Absence of Hunger free access procedure and a snack time procedure. Inhibitory control skills will also be measured using executive functioning tasks. Feasibility and acceptability of this program will be determined from parent, child, and teacher surveys. The purpose of this study is to develop a new innovative method of decreasing energy-dense snack food consumption by promoting the development of inhibitory control or impulse control. If successful, this program has the potential to play a role in the treatment and prevention of childhood obesity.