Lower dietary intake of magnesium is associated with more callous–unemotional traits in children

ABSTRACT

Background:

Although researchers increasingly recognize the role of nutrition in mental health, little research has examined specific micronutrient intake in relation to antisocial behavior and callous–unemotional (CU) traits in children. Vitamin B₆ and magnesium are involved in neurochemical processes implicated in modulating antisocial behavior and CU traits. The current study examined dietary intakes of magnesium and vitamin B₆ in relation to antisocial behavior and CU traits.

Method

: We enrolled 11–12 year old children (n = 446, mean age = 11.9 years) participating in the Healthy Brains and Behavior Study. Magnesium and vitamin B₆ dietary intake were assessed with three 24-hour dietary recall interviews in children. CU traits and antisocial behavior were assessed by caregiver-reported questionnaires. We controlled for age, sex, race, total energy intake, body mass index, social adversity, ADHD or learning disability diagnosis, and internalizing behavior in all regression analyses.

Results:

Children with lower magnesium intake had higher levels of CU traits, controlling for covariates (β = −0.18, B = −0.0066, SE = 0.0027, p < 0.05). Vitamin B₆ intake was not significantly associated with CU traits (β = 0.061, B = 0.19, SE = 0.20, p > 0.05). Neither magnesium (β = 0.014, B = 0.0020, SE = 0.0093, p > 0.05) nor vitamin B₆ (β = 0.025, B = 0.33, SE = 0.70, p > 0.05) were significantly associated with antisocial behavior.

Conclusions:

Findings suggest that low dietary intake of magnesium may play a role in the etiology of CU traits but not general antisocial behavior. More studies are needed to determine if magnesium supplementation or diets higher in magnesium could improve CU traits in children.

KEYWORDS:

• Magnesium
• callous–unemotional
• vitamin b₆
• diet
• antisocial behavior
• child behavior
• child nutrition
• externalizing behavior‌

Acknowledgments

This project was funded, in part, under grants to the third author from the Pennsylvania Department of Health (SAP# 4100043366) and NICHD (R01HD087485). The Pennsylvania Department of Health specifically disclaims responsibility for any analyses, interpretations, or conclusions. It was also supported by the Clinical & Translational Research Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania (grant number UL1-RR-024134), the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Rockville. We also thank the CHOP Pediatric Research Consortium for their help during the recruitment stage.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Disclosure of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Data availability statement

Data are available from the author upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development [Grant Number R01HD087485]; Clinical and Translational Research Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania [Grant Number UL1-RR-024134]; Pennsylvania Department of Health [Grant Number 4100043366].

Notes on contributors

Jill Portnoy

Jill Portnoy, PhD is an assistant professor in the School of Criminology and Justice Studies at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. She received her Ph.D. in Criminology from the University of Pennsylvania in 2015. Her research examines biological risk factors for antisocial behavior, aggression, and psychopathy. Her research focuses on psychophysiological and hormonal risk factors for antisocial behavior, as well as interactions between these biological factors and the social environment. She also examines the relationship between nutrition and behavior problems in children.

Samantha H. McGouldrick

Samantha H. McGouldrick received her MS in Applied Behavior Analysis in the Research-Intensive Track from the University of Massachusetts Lowell. She is working as a Clinical Research Coordinator at an OBGYN practice while attending a post-Baccalaureate program at American University. She is currently working on clinical research studies investigating treatment for endometriosis, female sexual arousal disorder, contraception efficacy, and reduction of hot flashes in post-menopausal women. She plans to continue studying the intersection between the environment, nutrition, and health.

Adrian Raine

Adrian Raine is the Richard Perry University Professor in Criminology, Psychiatry, and Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. He conducts randomized controlled trails on omega-3 supplementation for reducing antisocial and aggressive behavior in children and adults.

Babette S. Zemel

Babette S. Zemel, PhD is a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and Director of the Nutrition and Growth Laboratory at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Her research is focused on childhood nutrition and growth and its relationship to chronic diseases later in life.

Katherine L. Tucker

Katherine L. Tucker, PhD is Professor of Nutritional Epidemiology in the Department of Biomedical and Nutritional Sciences, and Director of the Center for Population Health, at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, with an adjunct appointment at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. She received her PhD from Cornell University and her undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut, both in nutritional sciences. Dr. Tucker has contributed to more than 400 articles in scientific journals. Her research focuses on dietary intake and risk of chronic disease, including osteoporosis, cognitive decline, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and heart disease, with an emphasis on health disparities. She is the PI of the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study, an ongoing cohort study, to examine the roles of diet, health behaviors, stress and genetic predisposition in relation to chronic conditions, including heart disease, cognitive decline and bone health. She serves as a scientific adviser for the Jackson Heart Study, a cohort of African American adults. She is the Editor in Chief of Advances in Nutrition, the international review journal of the American Society of Nutrition (ASN); and was a co-editor of the 11th edition of the textbook, Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease.

Jianghong Liu

Jianghong Liu is Marjorie O. Rendell Endowed Professor in Healthy Transitions at the School of Nursing University of Pennsylvania. Her research concerns early health factors on children’s neurobehavior outcomes. Nutrition is a key focus of her research.