Anxiety Disorders: Wardle J

Wardle J, Cooke L. · Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Health Behaviour Research Centre, University College London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 6BT, UK. · Br J Nutr. · Pubmed #18257946 No free full text.

Abstract: Omnivores have the advantage of a variety of food options but face a challenge in identifying foods that are safe to eat. Not surprisingly, therefore, children show a relative aversion to new foods (neophobia) and a relative preference for familiar, bland, sweet foods. While this may in the past have promoted survival, in the modern food environment it could have an adverse effect on dietary quality. This review examines the evidence for genetic and environmental factors underlying individual differences in children's food preferences and neophobia. Twin studies indicate that neophobia is a strongly heritable characteristic, while specific food preferences show some genetic influence and are also influenced by the family environment. The advantage of the malleability of human food preferences is that dislike of a food can be reduced or even reversed by a combination of modelling and taste exposure. The need for effective guidance for parents who may be seeking to improve the range or nutritional value of foods accepted by their children is highlighted.

Wardle J, Cooke LJ, Gibson EL, Sapochnik M, Sheiham A, Lawson M. · Cancer Research UK Health Behaviour Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK. · Appetite. · Pubmed #12781165 No free full text.

Abstract: Despite considerable epidemiological evidence of the health benefits of a diet high in fruit and vegetables, consumption in pre-school children remains well below recommended levels. This study evaluated the effectiveness of an exposure-based intervention, carried out by parents in the home, in increasing children's liking for a previously disliked vegetable. 156 parents of 2-6 year old children were randomly assigned to Exposure, Information or Control groups after a pre-intervention taste test at which a 'target' vegetable was selected. Parents in the Exposure group gave their child a taste of this vegetable daily for 14 days, parents in the Information group were given nutritional advice and a leaflet, and parents in the Control group received no further intervention. All participants took part in a post-intervention taste test. Greater increases in liking, ranking and consumption of the 'target' vegetable from pre- to post-intervention occurred in the Exposure group than in either of the other two groups. Only the Exposure group showed significant increases across all three outcomes. It can be concluded that a parent-led, exposure-based intervention involving daily tasting of a vegetable holds promise for improving children's acceptance of vegetables. These findings suggest a parental advice strategy which could be disseminated directly to parents or by health professionals.

Vögele C, Coles J, Wardle J, Steptoe A. · Department of Psychology, University of Luton, UK. · Behav Res Ther. · Pubmed #12547376 No free full text.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: The present study was designed to investigate the psychophysiologic effects of "Applied Tension" (AT) on the emotional fainting response to blood and injury in a controlled experiment. METHOD: Twenty-two persons reporting to generally feel faint or to have fainted at the sight of blood or injury and 22 participants classified as Non-Fainters were randomly allocated to a treatment or control condition. Psychophysiologic responses were continuously monitored while individuals watched a video depicting open-heart surgery and a control film. Prior to the surgery film, participants in the treatment condition were instructed in the use of AT. RESULTS: All participants classified as Fainters showed a diphasic response pattern while watching the surgery film. This response, however, was significantly attenuated in Fainters in the treatment condition. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that AT provides an effective treatment strategy for the prevention of fainting responses in persons with a fear of blood and injury.

Cooke LJ, Haworth CM, Wardle J. · Cancer Research UK Health Behaviour Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom. · Am J Clin Nutr. · Pubmed #17684215 links to  free full text

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Food neophobia in children has been associated with a low intake of fruit, vegetables, and protein foods. The design of effective interventions to improve children's diets would be facilitated by a better understanding of the determinants of neophobia. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to quantify the contribution of genetic and environmental differences to variation in child food neophobia. DESIGN: Parents of twins aged 8-11 y (n = 5390 pairs) completed questionnaires about their children's eating habits, including a measure of food neophobia. RESULTS: The results showed that neophobia is highly heritable. The heritability estimate from model fitting was 0.78 (95% CI: 0.76, 0.79). A further 22% of the variance was explained by nonshared environmental factors, with no influence of shared environmental factors. CONCLUSIONS: Neophobia appears to be a heritable trait, but almost a quarter of the phenotypic variation is accounted for by nonshared environmental factors. An important aim for future research is the identification of influential aspects of the environment specific to individual children.

Simpson J, Haines K, Lekwuwa G, Wardle J, Crawford T. · Lancaster University, UK. · Br J Clin Psychol. · Pubmed #17076966 No free full text.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between social support and psychological functioning in people with Parkinson's disease. METHOD: 34 participants with idiopathic Parkinson's disease completed a comprehensive range of social support assessments and measures of depression, anxiety, stress, general psychological distress and positive affect. RESULTS: A clear pattern of relationships emerged, with the less satisfaction with social support, the higher the depression, anxiety and stress scores. Conversely, positive affect was related to more quantitative assessments of social support, such as the number of close relationships. CONCLUSION: The relationship between social support and psychological outcome in people with PD is complex. Furthermore, the complexity of this relationship should be addressed in any therapeutic attempts to relieve psychological distress and promote happiness.

Cooke L, Wardle J, Gibson EL. · Cancer Research UK Health Behaviour Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK. · Appetite. · Pubmed #14550320 No free full text.

This publication has no abstract.

Hayward P, Ahmad T, Wardle J. · Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom. · Depress Anxiety. · Pubmed #11195756 No free full text.

Abstract: This paper describes a study designed to test the cognitive-attentional model of panic. This model suggests that attention to internal sensations is likely to increase misinterpretation of them as representing a serious threat to health, which in turn might increase anxiety. In the present study, instructions for internal attentional focus were predicted to increase symptom reporting, anxiety, and catastrophic symptom attributions. Two groups, patients diagnosed with panic disorder with agoraphobia (PDA) and normal controls, watched a stressful film; half of each group was asked to attend to their internal sensations while watching, and the other half to focus on the film. In the normal controls, the manipulation was effective in modifying attentional focus, and the self-focused attention group became more anxious, reported more symptoms, and made more negative symptom attributions. However, in the PDA group, attentional focus was high in both conditions, and perhaps for this reason the intervention had no effect on mood, symptoms, catastrophic cognitions, or symptom attribution.