UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL BULLETIN

ANNOUNCEMENT

Florida International University

University Graduate School

Doctoral Dissertation Defense

Abstract

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Risk and Children’s Health Development: Examining the Roles of Physical Activity and Nutrition

by

Madeline M. Curzon

The differences in physical health behaviors and outcomes were examined cross-sectionally and longitudinally among young typically developing (TD) children (n = 96) and those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD, n = 127). Children were compared on multiple indicators of physical health, including body composition, physical fitness, physical activity, sedentary behavior, caloric intake, and dietary quality.

Cross-sectional findings showed that children with ADHD demonstrated higher risk for having an overweight/obese body mass index, poorer physical fitness, and greater caloric intake than TD children. Longitudinal analyses indicated that age was associated with increases in adiposity-related indicators, sedentary behavior, and caloric intake, as well as declines in dietary quality across childhood. ADHD-related differences in adiposity were limited, though emerging differences in waist-to-height ratio were observed. Children with ADHD also showed poorer physical fitness development over time. Ultra-processed food intake was high across the sample but was not strongly associated with physical health outcomes.

This dissertation concluded that the physical health implications of ADHD in childhood may be more evident in behavioral and functional domains, particularly physical fitness and energy intake, than in adiposity early in development. These findings highlight potentially modifiable targets for prevention and intervention aimed at reducing long-term chronic disease risk among children with and without ADHD.

Date: May 28, 2026 Department: Psychology

Time: 1:00 pm Major Professor: Dr. Paulo Graziano

Place: AHC4, Room 401

Zoom Meeting ID: 628 683 7749, Passcode: mc5-28