Roche Claudia, Burton Amy, Newton-John Toby
University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
J Clin Psychol Med Settings. 2025 Feb 22. doi: 10.1007/s10880-025-10064-6.
Research has identified that individuals with chronic pain comfort eat in response to their pain, however, little is known about the function that comfort eating serves for chronic pain patients. Given the synergistic relationship between higher body weight and chronic pain, it is important to further understand the role and impact of eating behaviours, such as comfort eating, for individuals with chronic pain. This study aimed to investigate the perceived function of pain-induced comfort eating for chronic pain sufferers. Adult participants (N = 141) with chronic pain were recruited through online advertisements. Participants completed self-report questions on an online survey platform. Over two-thirds of the sample identified with engaging in comfort eating in response to chronic pain flare-ups. Results revealed that the most endorsed function of pain-induced comfort eating was 'to have a pleasant experience' (51.8%), followed by 'distraction' (49.6%) and 'to reduce emotions' (39%). This study provides further evidence that comfort eating is common amongst individuals with chronic pain and sheds light on the perceived function of comfort eating for those who are managing chronic pain. Given the potential impact on outcomes for chronic pain patients, future studies should further investigate the relationship between comfort eating and chronic pain.
研究发现，患有慢性疼痛的个体为缓解疼痛会通过吃来获得安慰，然而，对于吃来获得安慰对慢性疼痛患者所起的作用却知之甚少。鉴于较高体重与慢性疼痛之间存在协同关系，进一步了解饮食行为（如吃来获得安慰）对慢性疼痛患者的作用和影响很重要。本研究旨在调查慢性疼痛患者因疼痛而通过吃来获得安慰这一行为的感知功能。通过网络广告招募了患有慢性疼痛的成年参与者（N = 141）。参与者在在线调查平台上完成了自我报告问题。超过三分之二的样本表示会因慢性疼痛发作而通过吃来获得安慰。结果显示，因疼痛而通过吃来获得安慰这一行为最常被认可的功能是“获得愉快体验”（51.8%），其次是“分散注意力”（49.6%）和“减轻情绪”（39%）。本研究进一步证明了通过吃来获得安慰在慢性疼痛患者中很常见，并揭示了对于那些应对慢性疼痛的人来说，吃来获得安慰的感知功能。鉴于对慢性疼痛患者治疗结果的潜在影响，未来的研究应进一步调查通过吃来获得安慰与慢性疼痛之间的关系。
