Eating behaviours, stress, and memory consolidation in adolescents: The mediating role of stress in abdominal obesity
Abstract
Background: Exercise-physiology models posit that habitual physical activity and central adiposity are linked to cognition via stress reactivity and sleep-dependent memory consolidation pathways. Objective: To examine associations amongst PA, abdominal adiposity, perceived stress, and sleep-dependent memory consolidation in adolescent girls, and to test perceived stress as a mediator. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 371 girls (13–17 y) from Qazvin City were classified as abdominal obesity + low PA (BMI ≥ 95th percentile; IPAQ-Short < 600 MET-min·wk⁻1) or no abdominal obesity + sufficient PA (BMI 15–85th percentile; ≥ 600 MET-min·wk⁻1). Measures included the DEBQ, Adolescent Stress Questionnaire (ASQ), PSQI, IPAQ-Short, anthropometry (BMI; waist/hip where feasible), and a paired-associate visual memory task with learning and delayed recall across an overnight interval. Group differences were tested using ANCOVA adjusted for age and socioeconomic status (SES); sensitivity models additionally adjusted for PSQI. Mediation was evaluated with PROCESS model 4 (5000 bias-corrected bootstrap samples). Results: The no abdominal obesity + sufficient PA group showed lower perceived stress and higher delayed-recall accuracy than the abdominal-obesity + low PA group (all p < 0.05; partial η2 range = 0.21–0.65). However, indirect effects via perceived stress were not significant for delayed recall (95% BCa CI included zero). Conclusions: Amongst adolescent girls, higher PA and lower central adiposity were associated with better sleep-dependent memory consolidation and lower perceived stress, but perceived stress did not mediate these relations. Prospective trials incorporating objective PA/fitness, stress-reactivity indices, and sleep monitoring are warranted.
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
3-1-2026
Volume
22
Issue
1
Publication Title
Sport Sciences for Health
Publisher
Springer
School
School of Medical and Health Sciences
Copyright
subscription content
Comments
Naddafha, S., Sangari, M., Babaii, F., & Eskandari, Z. (2026). Eating behaviours, stress, and memory consolidation in adolescents: The mediating role of stress in abdominal obesity. Sport Sciences for Health, 22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-025-01601-9