Peer-reviewed article

Associations between household chaos and appetitive traits in preschoolers and preadolescents.

Zhang Z, Carlson D, Borowy C, Ge M, Gilbert-Diamond D et al. · 21 Sept 2026

Abstract

Introduction Prior research suggests that household chaos may relate to greater childhood obesity risk, though mechanisms are unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the cross-sectional associations between household chaos and appetitive traits in 92 preschoolers (Study A) and 184 preadolescents (Study B). Methods Parents completed the Confusion, Hubbub, and Order Scale and the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Eating in the absence of hunger (EAH) was assessed in the lab. Data were collected at baseline and at either 6-month (Study A) or 1-year (Study B) follow-up. Associations between household chaos and appetitive traits were examined cross-sectionally using linear mixed-effects models that accounted for repeated observations within children and adjusted for child age, sex, and annual household income. Sensitivity analyses further adjusted for nighttime sleep duration and parenting style in both studies, and the number of children in the household in Study A only. Results In both cohorts, chaos was positively associated with emotional overeating (preschoolers: standardized beta coefficient β s = 0.18, 95% CI: 0.005, 0.35, p = 0.04; preadolescents: β s = 0.19, 95% CI: 0.07, 0.31, p = 0.003). In preadolescents, more household chaos was associated with higher food responsiveness (β s = 0.21, 95% CI: 0.09, 0.32, p < 0.001) and lower satiety responsiveness (SR, β s = -0.14, 95% CI: -0.25, -0.02, p = 0.03). No associations were found for enjoyment of food, emotional undereating, or EAH. Conclusions Household chaos was associated with several appetitive traits linked to obesity risk, particularly emotional overeating across both age groups and greater food responsiveness and lower satiety responsiveness in preadolescents. These findings suggest that chaotic home environments may shape children's eating behaviors and represent a potential modifiable target for obesity prevention.