Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota Duluth, United States of America.
Research Division, HealthPartners Institute, United States of America.
Eat Behav. 2020 Dec;39:101433. doi: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2020.101433. Epub 2020 Sep 11.
College may be a time when emerging adults establish eating patterns that influence future weight trajectories. Self-determination theory (SDT) suggests that satisfaction of basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, relatedness) supports autonomous regulation of behavior, which is associated with healthier behaviors. When needs are frustrated, individuals feel as though their behaviors are controlled by others, which is associated with unhealthy behaviors. This study used SDT to examine a model for associated body satisfaction, eating/weight control behaviors, and weight change.
Using a cross-sectional design, undergraduates (N = 875; 57% women; Age = 20 ± 1.4 yrs.; BMI = 24.3 ± 4.4) completed measures of need satisfaction and frustration, behavioral regulation of healthy weight, body satisfaction, eating/weight control behaviors, and weight change in their first semester of college.
Structural equation modeling showed that need satisfaction was positively associated with greater autonomous regulation, which was positively associated with greater body satisfaction and fruit/vegetable intake. Conversely, greater need frustration was associated with greater controlled regulation, which was associated with lower body satisfaction. Participants who had greater body satisfaction engaged in fewer unhealthy weight control behaviors. Engaging in more unhealthy behaviors was associated with greater weight gain during the first semester of college, whereas fruit and vegetable intake was not associated with weight change. The associations were stronger for women than men, particularly for the relationships between body satisfaction and unhealthy weight control behaviors and increased weight gain.
The model was generally supported, suggesting that psychological need satisfaction and autonomous motivation in college students may facilitate greater body satisfaction and healthier eating behaviors. Future longitudinal research is needed to clarify the factors that influence health behaviors and weight gain in college students.
大学时期，年轻人可能开始形成影响未来体重变化轨迹的饮食习惯。自我决定理论（SDT）认为，基本心理需求（自主性、胜任力、关联性）的满足有助于行为的自主调节，而后者与更健康的行为相关。当需求受挫时，个体感觉自己的行为受到他人控制，这与不健康的行为有关。本研究采用 SDT 检验了与体满意度、饮食/体重控制行为和体重变化相关的模型。
采用横断面设计，对 875 名（57%为女性；年龄 20±1.4 岁；BMI 24.3±4.4）大学生进行了需要满足和挫折、健康体重行为调节、体满意度、饮食/体重控制行为和大学第一学期体重变化的测量。
结构方程模型显示，需求满足与更大的自主调节呈正相关，而自主调节又与更大的体满意度和水果/蔬菜摄入量呈正相关。相反，需求挫折与更大的受控调节呈正相关，而受控调节与体满意度降低有关。体满意度较高的参与者较少采用不健康的体重控制行为。更多不健康的行为与大学第一学期体重增加有关，而水果和蔬菜的摄入量与体重变化无关。这些关联在女性中比男性更强，特别是在体满意度与不健康的体重控制行为和体重增加之间的关系上。
该模型得到了普遍支持，表明大学生的心理需求满足和自主动机可能促进更大的体满意度和更健康的饮食行为。未来需要进行纵向研究，以阐明影响大学生健康行为和体重增加的因素。
