{
  "abstract": "Background\n\nThis meta-analysis examined the associations between obesity and performance across seven cognitive domains (inhibition, cognitive flexibility, working memory, verbal fluency, planning, attention, and intelligence quotient [IQ]) in youth under 18 years. Developmental stage (school-aged children vs. adolescents) and sample sex composition examined as moderators. Evidence on executive function in youth with comorbid obesity and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was synthesized qualitatively.Methods\n\nFollowing PRISMA guidelines, 22 studies comparing youth with obesity to normal-weight peers were included. Effect sizes (Hedges' g) were pooled using a random-effects model. Subgroup analyses compared school-aged children and adolescents; meta-regression examined age and proportion of female participants as study-level moderators.Results\n\nYouth with obesity performed significantly worse than normal-weight peers on inhibition (g⁺ = -0.193), cognitive flexibility (g⁺ = -0.499), working memory (g⁺ = -0.652), verbal fluency (g⁺ = -0.420), attention (g⁺ = -0.526), and IQ (g⁺ = -0.288); planning could not be estimated. School-aged children showed deficits on inhibition, working memory, and attention; adolescents on working memory and attention only. Between-subgroup tests were non-significant for all domains (p ≥ 0.26), so developmental differences should be interpreted with caution. Meta-regression showed that a higher proportion of female participants in a study sample, a study-level characteristic rather than an individual-level effect, was associated with larger working memory deficits (p = 0.002); age did not moderate any domain. Two ADHD-comorbidity studies received qualitative synthesis only.Discussion\n\nObesity is associated with poorer cognitive performance in youth across several domains, with sex composition of the study sample emerging as a moderator of the working memory finding; differences between school-aged children and adolescents were not significant and should be interpreted cautiously. Substantial heterogeneity, predominantly observational designs, inconsistent BMI criteria, and limited ADHD-stratified data constrain causal inference. Future studies should standardize weight definitions, report age- and ADHD-stratified data, and consider bidirectional pathways.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.",
    "Department of Psychology, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan.",
    "School of Post Baccalaureate Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.",
    "Division of Pediatric Neurology, China Medical University Children's Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.",
    "Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Cathay General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.",
    "Center for Prevention and Treatment of Internet Addiction, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan.",
    "Clinical Psychology Center, Asia University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.",
    "Department of Occupational Safety and Health, College of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan."
  ],
  "article_type": "review article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 6,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Yi-Chun Lin"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Chia-Chia Chang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Yu-Tzu Chang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Wei-Lin Liu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        5,
        6
      ],
      "name": "Yu-Chi Liao",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-7616-949X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        7
      ],
      "name": "Ro-Ting Lin",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-2687-203X"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/055vvavbkzv1y.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1002/brb3.71884",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13724984",
  "id": "055vvavbkzv1y",
  "issns": [
    "2162-3279"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42968408",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Review"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2739|Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7225130110",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13724984?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13724984",
  "pmid": "42968408",
  "published": "2026-11-01",
  "publisher": "Wiley",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/055vvavbkzv1y.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-03T15:20:53Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42968408",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42968408"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-04T12:23:27Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13724984",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.71884"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2739|Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet",
      "subfield": "epidemiology-public-health"
    }
  ],
  "title": "The Cognitive Functions of Youth With Obesity: A Meta-Analysis.",
  "title_text": "The Cognitive Functions of Youth With Obesity: A Meta-Analysis.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-06T12:21:21Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/055vvavbkzv1y",
  "venue": "Brain and behavior",
  "versions": []
}