Science for Education Today, 2026, vol. 16, no. 4, pp. 148–172
© Darenskaya M. A., Prokhorova Z. V., Rychkova L. V., Kolesnikov S. I., Sholohov L. F., Votineva A. S., Yuzvak N. A., Atalyan A. V., Boldin A. V., Kolesnikova L. I., 2026
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The specifics of eating behavior characteristics, metabolic processes and psy-chological traits of schoolchildren: Comparative assessment of the impact on the adaptive capabilities of boys and girls when transitioning to middle school

Darenskaya M. A. 1 (Irkutsk, Russian Federation), Prokhorova Z. V. 1 (Irkutsk, Russian Federation), Rychkova L. V. 1 (Irkutsk, Russian Federation), Kolesnikov S. I. 1 (Irkutsk, Russian Federation), Sholohov L. F. 1 (Irkutsk, Russian Federation), Votineva A. S. 1 (Irkutsk, Russian Federation), Yuzvak N. A. 1 (Irkutsk, Russian Federation), Atalyan A. V. 1 (Irkutsk, Russian Federation), Boldin A. V. 1 (Irkutsk, Russian Federation), Kolesnikova L. I. 1 (Irkutsk, Russian Federation)
1 Scientific Centre for Family Health and Human Reproduction Problems
Full text (Open Access) — Downloaded 3
Abstract: 

Introduction. This article presents data on the adaptive capacity of Grade 5 schoolchildren during the transition from primary to secondary school. The aim of the research is to identify gender differences in eating behaviors, metabolic indicators, and psychological characteristics among schoolchildren during the transition to secondary school and determine how these differences influence their successful adaptation to new educational conditions
Materials and Methods. Clinical examination, biochemical and statistical research methods were used in order to solve the research tasks.
Results. The authors found that eating behavior patterns of fifth-graders vary significantly depending on their gender and are closely linked to how they cope with the demands of the school environment, i.e., its adaptive and socializing functions. According to the DEBQ scale, boys are less likely to rigidly control their eating (restrictive behavior) or to ‘eat away’ their emotions (emotiogenic). Girls are more likely to focus on weight control and consciously restrict their eating (moderate levels of restrictive and emotiogenic behavior). Girls also exhibit more external behavior—a tendency to react to external triggers (the sight and smell of food, the atmosphere at the table)—and a higher frequency of indicators related to appearance (the desire for thinness, dissatisfaction) and perfectionism (the EDI method). This reflects the increased pressure of social standards that children encounter at school (including through the media and interactions with peers). Boys, on average, more often exhibit signs of interpersonal tension (mistrust, inefficacy) and bulimia as a form of dysregulation, while they are better at reading bodily signals (lower interoceptive incompetence). High cortisol levels (in the morning in all children) and specific medium-molecular peptide (MMP) profiles (higher MMP238/MMP254 values in girls and MMP280/MMP254 in boys) may be a consequence of chronic stress factors and disturbances in the regulation of eating behavior (behavioral and emotional).
Conclusions. Gender-specific features of eating behaviors, metabolic indicators, and psychological characteristics in fifth-graders were identified. These characteristics determine their adaptation to new academic workloads.

Keywords: 

eating behaviors; boys; girls; fifth-graders; adaptation; psychological characteristics; cortisol; endogenous intoxication; educational process

For citation:
Darenskaya M. A., Prokhorova Z. V., Rychkova L. V., Kolesnikov S. I., Sholohov L. F., Votineva A. S., Yuzvak N. A., Atalyan A. V., Boldin A. V., Kolesnikova L. I. The specifics of eating behavior characteristics, metabolic processes and psy-chological traits of schoolchildren: Comparative assessment of the impact on the adaptive capabilities of boys and girls when transitioning to middle school. Science for Education Today, 2026, vol. 16, no. 4, pp. 148–172. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15293/2658-6762.2604.07
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Date of the publication 31.08.2026