| Popis: |
Background Emotional eating (EE), defined as eating to cope with negative emotions, has been previously associated with poor diet and obesity. Since there are limited data from non-Western populations, this study aims to examine the prevalence and associated factors of EE among urban Chinese adolescents. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted on 424 university students (aged 18-24 years) from two large universities in Hong Kong in 2019. Respondents were randomly invited to complete an anonymous online questionnaire that obtained background information, emotional eating subscale of Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (DEBQ), and Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21). Two-sample independent t-test and multiple regression analyses were conducted to test the association of study variables with emotional eating.Results There was nearly a four-fold higher likelihood of EE among females (14.8%) compared with their male counterparts (4.5%) (OR=3.7). Having at least mild depressive symptoms was the only independent factor associated with EE among males (OR=10.1) while for females, EE was independently associated with not having a romantic partner (OR=3.45), having depressive symptoms (OR=44.5) and having at least mild stress (OR=5.65). Anxiety levels were not independently associated with EE for either gender. Higher EE scores were associated with worse perceived health and worse life satisfaction in both genders and associated with higher BMI among females. ConclusionsThis study revealed that EE is prevalent in female Chinese university students and not uncommon in male students. To address disordered eating, regional health promotion programmes may strategically target those at high-risk for depression. |
