Olvera Norma, Roy Tamal J, Scherer Rhonda, Matthews-Ewald Molly R, Fan Weihua, Arbona Consuelo
Department of Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
WhitworthKee Consulting, LLC, Washington, DC 20003, USA.
Nutrients. 2025 May 5;17(9):1588. doi: 10.3390/nu17091588.
Emotional eating is a significant health problem associated with increased obesity and mental health among children and adolescents. Investigating emotional eating and its associated factors is critical, as it coincides with key developmental periods during which eating patterns are formed. This study assessed the contribution of anxiety and sleep quality to emotional eating among 232 Hispanic girls ( = 124, with a mean age of 10.23 years, = 1.40) and boys ( = 108, with a mean age of 10.36 years, = 1.57). This study used a correctional research design. Participants completed a series of surveys including demographics, acculturation, McKnight Risk Factor Survey-IV emotional eating subscale, Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Participants also had their objective body height and weight measured. Descriptive analyses showed that most girls (84%) and boys (87%) were born in the United States and were either overweight ( = 24, 19% girls; = 18, 17% boys) or with obesity ( = 61, 49% girls; = 61, 56% boys). The hierarchical regression analyses revealed that, for girls, poor sleep quality was the sole significant factor associated with EE ( = 350, < 0.001), controlling for age and BMI. For boys, poor sleep quality ( = 0.302, < 0.01) and anxiety ( = 0.247, < 0.05) were significant. The study's findings suggest that emotional eating interventions may need to focus on reducing anxiety levels and improving sleep quality in Hispanic children and early adolescents.
情绪化进食是一个严重的健康问题，与儿童和青少年肥胖率上升及心理健康有关。调查情绪化进食及其相关因素至关重要，因为这与饮食习惯形成的关键发育阶段相吻合。本研究评估了焦虑和睡眠质量对232名西班牙裔女孩（n = 124，平均年龄10.23岁，标准差 = 1.40）和男孩（n = 108，平均年龄10.36岁，标准差 = 1.57）情绪化进食的影响。本研究采用了校正研究设计。参与者完成了一系列调查，包括人口统计学、文化适应、麦克奈特风险因素调查-IV情绪化进食子量表、儿童多维焦虑量表和匹兹堡睡眠质量指数。参与者还测量了客观的身高和体重。描述性分析表明，大多数女孩（84%）和男孩（87%）出生在美国，要么超重（n = 24，19%女孩；n = 18，17%男孩），要么肥胖（n = 61，49%女孩；n = 61，56%男孩）。分层回归分析显示，对于女孩，控制年龄和体重指数后，睡眠质量差是与情绪化进食相关的唯一显著因素（β = 0.350，p < 0.001）。对于男孩，睡眠质量差（β = 0.302，p < 0.01）和焦虑（β = 0.247，p < 0.05）是显著的。该研究结果表明，针对西班牙裔儿童和青少年的情绪化进食干预可能需要侧重于降低焦虑水平和改善睡眠质量。
