Food addiction in young adult residents of Russia: Associations with emotional and anthropometric characteristics.

Abstract

The incidence of food addiction (FA) and associations between FA and anthropometric and psycho-emotional characteristics of young Russian adults were studied. In this study, 1,237 students (age, M = 20.6, SD = 4.6 years; 79% females) of universities located in four cities of Russia were attended. They provided demographics and filled in the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS), the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire, and the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale. Data were analysed via Chi-squared tests, logistic regression analysis, and an analysis of covariance. 13.2% of participants met diagnostic criteria for FA based on the YFAS. On average, the participants reported 2.6 FA symptoms (SD = 1.5). FA was more commonly detected in females (OR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.10, 3.15, p = .021). No relationship was found between age and the incidence of FA. Significant positive associations between FA, the severity of depression (OR = 2.31, 95% CI = 1.91, 2.80, p = .000), and an emotional eating behaviour (OR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.20, 1.76, p = .000) were found. The waist-to-height ratio was found to be the anthropometric indicator most closely associated with FA (OR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.27, 1.76, p = .000). HIGHLIGHTS: The prevalence of food addiction in the current sample was 13.2%. In young Russian adults, emotional eating behaviour and depression are associated with food addiction. In young Russian adults, the waist-to-height ratio is the anthropometric indicator most closely associated with food addiction.