Abstract
This study aims to explore associations between emotional eating, depression and laryngopharyngeal reflux among college students in Hunan Province. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 1301 students at two universities in Hunan. Electronic questionnaires were used to collect information about the students’ emotional eating, depressive symptoms, laryngopharyngeal reflux and sociodemographic characteristics. Anthropometric measurements were collected to obtain body mass index (BMI). Results: High emotional eating was reported by 52.7% of students. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 18.6% and that of laryngopharyngeal reflux symptoms 8.1%. Both emotional eating and depressive symptoms were associated with laryngopharyngeal reflux symptoms (AOR = 3.822, 95% CI 2.126–6.871 vs. AOR = 4.093, 95% CI 2.516–6.661). Conclusion: The prevalence of emotional eating and depressive symptoms among Chinese college students should be pay more attention in the future. Emotional eating and depressive symptoms were positively associated with laryngopharyngeal symptoms. The characteristics of emotional eating require further study so that effective interventions to promote laryngopharyngeal health among college students may be formulated.
Highlights
Emotional eating (EE) has been defined as “the tendency to eat in response to a range of negative emotions such as anxiety, depression, anger and loneliness, to cope with negative affect” [1]
Dietary changes caused by negative emotions and emotional eating are often increased intake of high energy density foods, such as sugary foods, sweets or fried foods, etc. [6], which may lead to obesity and increase the risk of chronic diseases [7]
The purpose of our study was to investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms, emotional eating and Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) symptoms among first-year college students and to explore the relationship between depressive symptoms, EE and LPR symptoms
Summary
Emotional eating (EE) has been defined as “the tendency to eat in response to a range of negative emotions such as anxiety, depression, anger and loneliness, to cope with negative affect” [1]. In a survey conducted in Finland, 25%–30% of people reported choosing to eat in response to stress [2]. Over the past few decades, the number of individuals with EE has increased significantly [3] and EE is associated with an increase of negative emotions such as depression, stress and anxiety in the population. With increasing levels of various negative emotions, the number of individuals with EE will gradually increase. Dietary changes caused by negative emotions and emotional eating are often increased intake of high energy density foods, such as sugary foods, sweets or fried foods, etc. Dietary changes caused by negative emotions and emotional eating are often increased intake of high energy density foods, such as sugary foods, sweets or fried foods, etc. [6], which may lead to obesity and increase the risk of chronic diseases [7]
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