# The Impact of Psychological Health on Childhood Obesity: A Cross-Developmental Stage Analysis
## 3 Results
### Adolescent Analysis (above 12 Years)  
Our analysis revealed varied correlations between psychological measures and BMI categories. Notably, the Affect Dysregulation score (\(-0.281\)) and Affect Suppression score (\(-0.191\)) were negatively correlated with BMI categories, suggesting a decrease in these psychological problems as the BMI Category increases. Conversely, the Peer Problems (0.210) and Internalizing score (0.138) showed positive correlations, indicating an increase in these issues with higher BMI categories. The Adaptive Reflection (0.085) and Total Difficulty score (0.092) also displayed positive but weak correlations with BMI categories. In Figure 5, we present a heatmap of Spearman correlation coefficients that provides a visual summary of the relationships between a range of psychological variables and BMI Category Codes in children above the age of 12. The heatmap illustrates both the magnitude and the direction of correlations, with warmer colors (red) representing stronger positive correlations and cooler colors (blue), signifying stronger negative correlations. For instance, the scale of Emotional Problems shows a notable positive correlation with the BMI Category Code, suggesting that children with higher scores in emotional problems tend to have a higher BMI Category. In contrast, variables such as Affect Dysregulation and Internalizing scores exhibit negative correlations with the BMI Category Code, indicating an inverse relationship. This nuanced portrayal aids in identifying patterns and potential areas of focus for interventions aimed at addressing obesity and psychological distress in children. This heatmap displays the Spearman correlation coefficients among various psychological measures and BMI Category Codes for children above 12 years of age. The color intensity represents the strength and direction of the correlation, with red indicating positive relationships and blue indicating negative relationships. Figure 4: Average scores of psychological measures by BMI Category. The Spearman correlation analysis performed on the dataset for children above the age of 12 revealed that the psychological measures studied did not show statistically significant correlations with the Body Mass Index (BMI) scores. The \(p\)-values for these correlations ranged from 0.118 to 0.790. The correlation coefficients varied from \(-\)0.281554 to 0.210402, indicating diverse, yet non-significant, relationships between the psychological constructs examined and BMI. Figure 6 illustrates the average scores for various psychological measures across different Body Mass Index (BMI) categories among children above 12 years of age. The bar graphs represent the mean scores for Affect Dysregulation, Affect Suppression, Adaptive Reflection, attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, and the Emotional Problems Scale, delineated by the BMI categories of Healthy, Overweight, and Obese. This visual representation allows for an immediate comparison of psychological patterns across the spectrum of weight status, hinting at the interrelation between psychological well-being and obesity in children. Figure 7 continues the exploration of psychological dimensions related to BMI categories, presenting the average scores for Conduct Problems, Hyperactivity, Peer Problems, Prosocial Behavior, Total Difficulty, Externalizing Behaviors, and Internalizing Behaviors. Each bar graph provides insights into how children within each BMI classification score on these psychological measures, suggesting trends that may indicate broader behavioral and emotional challenges associated with childhood obesity. These plots underscore the potential impact of various psychosocial factors on children's physical health outcomes. The results of this research indicate some preliminary correlations between psychometric tests and biometric data across categories. These findings illuminate potential pathways through which psychological well-being and physical health intersect in the context of childhood obesity.