Emotional Appetite Questionnaire Research Articles

A quantitative study on emotional appetite, mindful eating, and risky behaviors in male substance use disorder patients

ABSTRACT Background and Objective To evaluate the emotional appetite, eating awareness and risky behaviors of patients with substance use disorder. Method A total of 292 individuals were enrolled in this study; 142 individuals with a substance use disorder and 150 healthy individuals. Our sample was male. The Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ), Emotional Appetite Questionnaire (EAQ) and Risky Behaviors Scale (RBS) were used. p < .05 was considered statistically significant. Results The results showed that the levels of smoking, emotional appetite, irregular eating habits, school dropout, antisocial behaviors and substance use increased in individuals with a substance use disorder (p < .05). In contrast, there was no significant difference in disinhibition, focus, eating control, eating discipline, mindfulness and interference values related to eating awareness (p > .05). Conclusions This study highlights the effects of substance use disorders on emotional eating and risk behaviors, but not mindful eating. However, more studies are needed.

The relationship between social media addiction and emotional appetite: a cross-sectional study among young adults in Turkey.

The present study focused on the relationship between addiction to social media (SM) and emotional appetite in young adults. Cross-sectional online survey. The Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) and Emotional Appetite Questionnaire (EMAQ) were used, and the duration and frequency of SM tools usage were analysed. Five hundred and twenty-four participants (144 men and 380 women) aged between 18 and 25 years. The mean of SM usage duration of participants was 3·2 ± 2·2 h per d along with a mean of BSMAS score of 16·1 ± 5·9. Concerning emotional appetite, the mean scores for positive and negative aspects of EMAQ were 4·4 ± 1·9 and 3·1 ± 1·2, respectively. The predominant SM tools were YouTube (92·6 %) and Instagram (90·3 %). Notably, a significant association was observed between SM addiction and the frequency of access to YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter, with addiction levels increasing as access frequency rose (P < 0·01). This study demonstrated a possible relationship between SM addiction and emotional appetite among young adults. However, further research with more prominent participants and a lengthier follow-up duration is necessary to elucidate how SM tools affect eating behaviour.

Mindful Eating is More Effective to Beat Emotional Eating than Nutrition Education and Diet: A Randomized Controlled Study

Purpose: Mindful eating have a potential in addressing problematic eating behaviors and focusing the challenges often faced in food consumption. In this study, we conducted a randomized controlled trial that incorporated both mindful eating, including nutritional education with an energy-restricted diet. The aim is to contribute to the literature by revealing the comparative effectiveness of these approaches in alleviating problematic eating behaviors.&#x0D; Methods: This prospective randomized controlled study was conducted between January-April 2021 with 70 participants without chronic disease. Our study was approved by Ethics Committee of the Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University. A questionnaire form that examined demographic data and Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ-30), Turkish Emotional Appetite Questionnaire (TEAQ) were applied as pre-test and post-test of the interventions. Interventions were conducted in the groups as diet and education groups, also with control group. Anthropometric variables were reported by participants. &#x0D; Results: Mean age of our participants was 33.40±12.27 years. Participant who had the education compared to the diet and control groups, had higher scores in physical activity (p

Mindfulness facets differentially relate to self-reported negative and positive emotional eating types in treatment-seeking adults with overweight/obesity

BackgroundMindfulness is a meaningful therapeutic target in the treatment of emotional eating in adults with overweight/obesity. Descriptive research mapping relations between mindfulness facets and emotional eating types in treatment-seeking adults with overweight/obesity is needed.MethodsCross-sectional relations between mindfulness facets (i.e., acting with awareness, describe, non-judgment, non-reactive, and observe; Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-Short Form) and emotional eating types (i.e., self-reported negative and positive emotional eating; Emotional Eating Scale-Revised, Emotional Appetite Questionnaire) were examined in a treatment-seeking sample of adults with overweight/obesity (N = 63).ResultsSignificant bivariate correlations revealed negative relations between mindfulness facets and emotional eating types. Multiple regressions revealed that higher describe (β = − 0.42, p = 0.004) mindfulness was associated with lower self-reported emotional eating–anger/anxiety; higher non-reactive (β = − 0.31, p = 0.01) and non-judgment (β = − 0.28, p = 0.02) mindfulness were associated with lower self-reported emotional eating-depression; and higher non-judgment (β = 0.26, p = 0.04) mindfulness was associated with higher self-reported emotional eating-positive.ConclusionsDescribe, non-judgment, and non-reactive mindfulness were uniquely and significantly associated with eating in response to negative and positive emotions. Results suggest the potential need for intervention programs to be sensitive to the multidimensional nature of mindfulness in the treatment of distinct types of emotional eating in adults with overweight/obesity.Level of evidenceV, cross-sectional descriptive study.

Eating when depressed, anxious, bored, or happy: An examination in treatment-seeking adults with overweight/obesity

Emotions that differ in valence are uniquely associated with eating. In our previous study with an online sample of adults with overweight/obesity, eating in response to depression was the type of emotional eating most closely associated with negative psychosocial correlates (Braden et al., 2018). The current study extended this research by examining associations between emotional eating types (eating in response to depression, anxiety, boredom, happiness) and psychological correlates among treatment-seeking adults. The present study was a secondary analysis of adults (N = 63; 96.8% female) with overweight/obesity and self-identified emotional eating who completed a baseline assessment for a behavioral weight loss intervention. Emotional eating in response to depression (EE-depression), anxiety/anger (EE-anxiety/anger), and boredom (EE-boredom) were assessed with the revised Emotional Eating Scale (EES-R), and positive emotional eating (EE-positive) was assessed with the positive emotions subscale of the Emotional Appetite Questionnaire (EMAQ). The Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), Binge Eating Scale (BES), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9; depressive symptoms) were also administered. Frequencies showed the most endorsed emotional eating type was EE-depression (44.4%; n = 28). Four multiple regression analyses examined associations between emotional eating (EE-depression, EE-anxiety/anger, EE-boredom, and EE-positive) and dependent variables (EDE-Q, BES, DERS, and PHQ-9). Results showed that depression was the emotional eating type most closely related to disordered eating, binge eating, and depressive symptoms. Eating in response to anxiety was closely related to emotion regulation difficulties. Positive emotional eating was related to less depressive symptoms. Exploratory analyses showed that lower levels of positive emotional eating were related to higher depressive symptoms among adults with greater emotion regulation difficulties. Researchers and clinicians may consider tailoring weight loss treatment based on unique emotions that trigger eating.

Emotional Appetite Questionnaire: psychometric properties in Brazilian adult samples before and after the COVID-19 pandemic onset.

Appetite represents a desire of a person to eat specific food in order to reach satisfaction and pleasure states. This desire may be associated with the experience of negative or positive emotions (emotional appetite). Emotional appetite can influence eating behavior, and its investigation is relevant to avoid possible damage to health resulting from a disordered eating. To adapt the Emotional Appetite Questionnaire (EMAQ) to the Portuguese language; to assess the validity and reliability of the data; and to assess emotional appetite in three samples of adults collected before and after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a cross-sectional study with non-probabilistic convenience sampling. The Portuguese version of the EMAQ was presented after translation, back-translation, and content analysis. Two studies were conducted, the first before and the second after the pandemic onset. Three samples were formed (2019: Sample 1 (age = 19.7 ± 1.5 years) n = 323; 2020: Sample 2 (age = 21.3 ± 1.8 years) n = 1,011; and Sample 3 (age = 28.9 ± 3.1 years) n = 909). An exploratory strategy with parallel analysis was performed. The analyses were conducted in FACTOR and R (lavaan and semTools packages) software. After determining the best-fit model for the data, emotional appetite was examined considering decrease, non-alteration, and increase in appetite in the face of positive and negative emotions/situations. The profile of emotional appetite was determined using a circumplex model. The two-factor model described by the valence of emotions/situations fitted the samples (Comparative Fit Indexminimum-maximum = 0.95-0.98; Tucker-Lewis Index = 0.94-0.98; Root Mean Square Error of Approximation = 0.03-0.08; αord = 0.78-0.88). Increases in appetite were more frequent for positive emotions/situations (52.0-57.5%), and both decreases (35.4-44.5%) and increases (50.0-56.2%) in appetite were observed for negative emotions/situations. Emotions with negative valence and activation were more relevant to appetite reduction, while a significant increase in appetite was observed with anxiety (negative valence and positive activation). Different emotions and situations may influence appetite in people, and such an investigation may be useful in preparing eating protocols.

Determinantes de comportamentos alimentares desordenados: índice de massa corporal, alimentação emocional, restrição alimentar e motivos para comer alimentos palatáveis

ABSTRACT Objective: The study aimed to investigate the relationships between body mass index, reasons for consuming palatable foods, emotional eating, cognitive dietary restraint, and disordered eating behaviors in young adults. Methods: This study was conducted with 800 young adults, in Ankara, Türkiye. A questionnaire consisting of questions about socio-demographic characteristics, health status, and instruments including Eating Attitudes Test-26, Emotional Appetite Questionnaire, Palatable Eating Motives Scale, and The Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire were applied through face-to-face interviews. Results: According to the Eating Attitudes Test-26, 17.2% of males and 27.7% of females were at risk for disordered eating behaviors (χ2=9.750, p=0.002). The mean scores of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-emotional eating, cognitive restraint subscales, and the positive and negative scores of the Emotional Appetite Questionnaire were higher in males than in females (p&lt;0.05). The mean scores of the Palatable Eating Motives Scale-coping and reward enhancement motives were higher in females, while the mean score for the conformity motives was significantly higher in males. Body mass index, Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-cognitive restraint subscale, Emotional Appetite Questionnaire-negative, and PEMS-conformity motives were found for predictors for Eating Attitudes Test-26 (all p&lt;0.05). Conclusion: The results showed a high tendency for emotional eating, consumption of palatable foods, and cognitive dietary restraint in young adults, and these factors were considered determinants for eating disorders.

Evaluation of perceived depression, anxiety, stress levels and emotional eating behaviours and their predictors among adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study aimed to (1) evaluate the prevalence and predictors of perceived depression, anxiety, stress (DAS) levels and emotional eating behaviours and (2) determine the correlations between DAS levels and emotional eating behaviours during the pandemic. An online cross-sectional study included questions about demographic and anthropometric characteristics, dietary habits, Emotional Appetite Questionnaire (EMAQ) and Depression Anxiety Stress Scales. The snowball sampling method was used. Türkiye. The study population was 2002 adults aged ≥18 years. The mean age was 27·1 ± 9·52 years (72·1 % females and 27·9 % males). The prevalence of moderate to severe DAS was reported as 27·8 %, 30·5 % and 30·7 %, respectively. Skipping meals (OR = 1·32, 95 % CI (1·14, 1·49)) was associated with depression. Weight gain (OR = 1·43, 95 % CI (1·19, 1·66); OR = 1·30, 95 % CI (1·14, 1·49); OR = 1·39, 95 % CI (1·14, 1·64)), weight loss (OR = 1·45, 95 % CI (1·20, 1·70); OR = 1·37, 95 % CI (1·11, 1·62); OR = 1·46, 95 % CI (1·20, 1·72)), exercising at least 150 min/week (OR = 0·64, 95 % CI (0·46, 0·83); OR = 0·73, 95 % CI (0·55, 0·92); OR = 0·83, 95 % CI (0·63, 1·02)), and maintaining an adequate and balanced diet (OR = 0·52, 95 % CI (0·33, 0·71); OR = 0·53, 95 % CI (0·34, 0·73); OR = 0·63, 95 % CI (-0·15, 0·35)) were associated with DAS, respectively. BMI (r = 0·169, P < 0·001), weight (r = 0·152, P < 0·001), number of snacks (r = 0·102, P = 0·011), depression (r = 0·060, P = 0·007), anxiety (r = 0·061, P = 0·006) and stress (r = 0·073, P = 0·001) levels were positively correlated with EMAQ-negative scores. Approximately one out of every three participants reported moderate to severe DAS levels. Emotional eating was significantly correlated with perceived DAS. The predictors obtained in the study suggest that a healthy diet and lifestyle behaviours are part of psychological well-being and emotional eating.

Evaluation of the Relationship Between Depression, Emotional Appetite, and Mindful Eating in University Students

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between depression, emotional appetite, and mindful eating in university students. Subjects and Method: The study sample consists of 940 university students (348 males, 592 females). The “Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)” was used to determine the level of depression, the “Emotional Appetite Questionnaire (EMAQ)” to evaluate the relationship between eating behavior and mood, and the “Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ)” to assess mindful eating. Some anthropometric measurements (body weight, height, waist, and hip circumferences) of the individuals were taken. Results: The mean BDI score of males was higher than females. Out of total, 25% of the students have mild, 17% moderate, and 4% severe depression. There was a significant negative correlation between depression and body mass index (BMI) (r: -0.124). As the BDI score increases, the EMAQ scores increase. A significant positive correlation was found between a negative score of EMAQ and BMI (r: 0.120). It was determined that the MEQ score decreased as the level of depression increased. The MEQ score was negatively correlated with both the EMAQ negative and positive scores to a significant degree (respectively, -0.258, -0.195). As the MEQ score increases, the BMI decreases. Conclusion: University students are at risk for depression. Negative mood can cause obesity by affecting the amount of food consumed, diet quality, and food choices because of emotional appetite. Mindful eating can prevent obesity by having a positive effect on both depression and emotional appetite. Nutritional knowledge and habits of depressed individuals should be evaluated by dietitians.

The Relatıonshıp Between Mood, Lıfe Satısfactıon and Emotıonal Appetıte: A Study on Unıversıty Students

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between emotional appetite and life satisfaction of depression, anxiety, and stress of university students Material and Methods: This cross-sectional, descriptive study was based on volunteerism and was conducted on a total of 1006 undergraduate students, 243 male and 763 female, studying at Üsküdar University in the 2020-2021 academic year. Students were online surveyed through questions about the sociodemographic characteristics and nutritional status of the students and the Emotional Appetite Questionnaire (EMAQ), Life Satisfaction Scale (SWLS) and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS). Data were analyzed with IBM SPSS and version 26. Results: 75.8% of the students participating in the study were female and 24.2% were male. The mean age of the students is 19.20±1.12 years, and the mean body mass index (BMI) is 22.04±3.85 kg/m2. “Advanced” and “very advanced” depression prevalence was 91.3%, anxiety prevalence was 61.5% and stress prevalence was 61.8%. The average score of the participants on the Life Satisfaction Scale (SWLS) was 19.16±7.60, and their life satisfaction was moderate. Eating habits of students show similarity in positive or negative emotions and situations according to their emotional appetite. As life satisfaction score increases, a decrease was found in the scores of “Depression”, “Anxiety” and “Stress” and “DASS Total” (p&lt;0.05). As the life satisfaction score increased, there was an increase in the "EMAQ Positive " score (p&gt;0.05) and "EMAQ Negative" score (p&lt;0.05). As the “Depression” score increased, the “EMAQ Positive” score increased (p&gt;0.05) and the “EMAQ Negative” score decreased (p&lt;0.05). As the “DASS Total” score increased, there was a decrease in the “EMAQ Positive” score (p&gt;0.05) and the “EMAQ Negative” score (p&lt;0.05). As the "EMAQ Positive" score increased, the "EMAQ Negative" score increased (p&lt;0.05). Conclusion: The change in the emotional moods of university students affects their life satisfaction and emotional appetite. In negative moods, life satisfaction and emotional appetite decrease.

Stress, Emotional Eating and Food Choices Among University Students During the Covid-19

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on stress and eating behaviours. This study aims to determine the relationship between stress, emotional eating, and food choices among university students during the Covid-19. A total of 273 university students participated in this cross-sectional study. Online self-administered questionnaires were used to determine the stress intensity, emotional eating, and eating behaviours. All statistical analyses were performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Almost half (49.8%) of the participants experienced high stress. In males, the high-stress group consumed sweets or sugars more frequently than the low-stress group (p&lt;0.05). In females, the high-stress group consumed more sweets or sugar and cakes or cookies but less milk products and fresh fruits than the low-stress group (p&lt;0.05). Students with higher negative emotion scores consumed less cooked vegetables (r=-0.133; p&lt;0.05) whereas students with higher positive emotion scores consumed more fast food (r=0.208; p&lt;0.001), sweets or sugar (r=0.139; p&lt;0.05) and cakes or cookies (r=0.139; p&lt;0.05). Body Mass Index (BMI) was positively correlated with negative emotions (r=0.134; p&lt;0.05), negative situations (r=0.161; p&lt;0.01), and total negative Emotional Appetite Questionnaire (EMAQ) scores (r=0.168; p&lt;0.01). In conclusion, Covid-19 brings negative impact on stress. University students shifted food preferences from healthy foods to palatable foods and this could result in adverse health outcomes. Therefore, stress management interventions and nutrition education should be implemented to reduce stress and overcome stress-induced eating behaviour among private university students during the Covid-19.

Eating behaviours of normal and overweight female undergraduate students in positive and negative emotions

Emotional well-being affects eating behaviour, whether making an individual eat less or more than they normally do. This paper aimed to compare eating behaviour between normal and overweight female undergraduate students in response to positive and negative emotions. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 166 female university students. Data collection involved the assessments of participants’ anthropometric measurements to obtain body mass index (BMI) and two self-administered questionnaires to measure of eating behaviour in positive and negative emotions; Emotional Appetite Questionnaire (EMAQ) and Eating Junk Food Questionnaire (EJFQ). Data from the two groups were compared to obtain differences in eating behaviour between normal and overweight female undergraduate students in response to positive and negative emotions. Both normal (Mean = 5.96±1.05) and overweight (Mean = 5.60±0.81) participants reported no changes in the levels of eating under positive emotions. The results also showed that both BMI categories “ate less” when they experienced negative emotions. For EJFQ, there was no significant difference in eating junk food between normal and overweight participants in response to positive emotions. However, the results revealed that the overweight group has more tendency to choose pizza (X 2 (1) = 6.879), p = 0.009) and cake (X 2 (1) = 7.458, p = 0.006) than the normal group under negative emotions. These results offer an insight that both BMI groups have almost similar eating-related concerns and thus intervention programs can be constructed on distressing eating-related thoughts and emotions among female undergraduate students

EVALUATION OF SLEEP QUALITY, EMOTIONAL APPETITE STATUS AND FOOD CONSUMPTION OF INDIVIDUALS DURING THE PANDEMIC PROCESS

This study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between emotional appetite status and food consumption and sleep quality during the Covid-19 pandemic process. It was carried out electronically between December 2020 - February 2021. 860 people participating in the study constituted the sample of the study. The demographic characteristics, general health status, nutritional habits and anthropometric measurements of the individuals were recorded with the personal information form. Emotional Appetite Questionnaire (SIS), Food Frequency Questionnaire and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PUKI) were used as data collection tools. 65.8% of the individuals participating in the study were female and 34.2% were male. The mean age of women is 30.6±10.08 years, while that of men is 27.1±8.65 years. A negative and statistically significant correlation was found between individuals' positive total score of DIA and Body Mass Index (BMI) (kg/m2) values (r=-0.158; p&lt;0.001). The relationship between individuals' negative DIA total score and BMI (kg/m2) values is positive and statistically significant. (r=0.458; p&lt;0.001). As a result, it is thought that individuals' food intake and emotional appetite are related. It has been observed that the Covid-19 pandemic can cause significant changes in the sleep quality, eating habits and appetite of individuals.

Apetite emocional em situações negativas e padrão alimentar de mulheres adultas

Objetivo: Verificar se e quais padrões alimentares podem estar associados ao apetite emocional em mulheres acompanhadas pelo Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). Métodos: Estudo quantitativo, transversal e analítico realizado em 20 Centros de Saúde da Família do SUS, entre 2016 e 2017, com mulheres de 19 a 59 anos, em idade reprodutiva e alfabetizadas. Coletaram-se dados de peso, altura e circunferência da cintura, e aplicou-se o Questionário de Apetite Emocional (QUEAPEM), para avaliar o apetite emocional, e o Questionário de Frequência Alimentar, para avaliar o consumo alimentar, analisado na forma de padrões alimentares derivados por análise fatorial por meio de testes de esfericidade de Barllet e Kayse-Meyer-Olkin. Verificou-se relação entre os padrões alimentares e a dimensão do apetite emocional pelo teste de Spearman, considerando significativos os valores de p&lt;0,05. Resultados: Ao total, 149 mulheres participaram do estudo, com idade média de 34,3 ± 8,6 anos. A maioria das mulheres (n= 88; 59%) encontra-se com excesso de peso, sendo 25,5% (n=38) com obesidade. Identificaram-se três padrões alimentares que juntos explicaram 16,8% da variabilidade da dieta, denominados de “denso em energia”, “saudável” e “tradicional”. Houve correlação entre o padrão alimentar “tradicional” e a presença de apetite emocional em situações negativas (p&lt;0,05), não havendo correlação com os demais padrões. Conclusão: A identificação de três padrões alimentares permitiu um melhor entendimento da alimentação das mulheres estudadas, além de detectar uma associação inversa, embora fraca, entre o padrão alimentar “tradicional” e o apetite emocional em situações negativas.

Examination of Adolescents' Attention, Appetite and Nutritional Status

Aim: The aim of this study was to examine adolescent’s attention levels, in which mood they tend to eat, eating habits and the relationship among them.&#x0D; Methods: This study was conducted in February 2020 on 142 students in total, 69 (48.6%) of them girls and 73 (51.6%) of them boys who are studying at Süleymaniye Educational Institutions Bağlıca Secondary School in Turkey. Data were collected by a questionnaire with 38 questions and a 24-h dietary recall to determine the personal characteristics and the eating habits of adolescents; the D2 Attention Test was used to determine attention levels and the Emotional Appetite Questionnaire was used to identify appetite.&#x0D; Results: 38.7% of the participants in the study were overweight and 23.2% were obesity. The D2 Attention test found that mean TN (total number of items processed) and CP (concentration performance) scores were positively correlated with age and negatively with Body Mass Index for age. A significant and negative correlation was found between glucose intake and the TN (total number of items processed) scores.&#x0D; Conclusions: A high risk of obesity was founded in these secondary school students. At the same time, it is thought that there may be a relationship between individuals' macro and micronutrient consumption and their emotional eating tendency and attention levels. For this reason, it is important to detect and improve dietary habits of adolescence, which is a critical process for future generations.

Emotion regulation difficulties interact with negative, not positive, emotional eating to strengthen relationships with disordered eating: An exploratory study

Disordered eating includes core eating disorder symptoms present in diverse populations. The extant literature has focused on associations between negative emotional eating and disordered eating to the exclusion of positive emotional eating. Emotion regulation may help explain relationships between emotional eating and disordered eating. Emotion regulation difficulties was examined as a moderator of relationships between negative and positive emotional eating and disordered eating including dietary restraint, eating, weight, and shape concerns, and global scores of disordered eating, a general index of disordered eating. A cross-sectional study was employed using a university student population in the United States. Participants completed surveys assessing negative (Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire; Emotional Appetite Questionnaire) and positive (Emotional Appetite Questionnaire) emotional eating, emotion regulation (Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale), and disordered eating (Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire). Moderation analyses were calculated with emotion regulation difficulties as the moderator of relationships between negative and positive emotional eating and disordered eating. Across two separate measures of negative emotional eating, higher negative emotional eating was associated with higher weight concerns and global scores of disordered eating when emotion regulation difficulties was average and increased (+1 SD above average). Higher positive emotional eating was associated with lower dietary restraint and global scores of disordered eating when emotion regulation difficulties was decreased (−1 SD below average). Emotion regulation difficulties strengthened relationships between negative, not positive, emotional eating and disordered eating. Research and clinical implications for the contribution of emotional eating and emotion regulation on disordered eating were discussed.

The Psycho-Affective Roots of Obesity: Results from a French Study in the General Population.

The aim of the study was to examine the extent to which obese people differ in their emotionally driven and addictive-like eating behaviors from normal-weight and overweight people. A total of 1142 participants were recruited from a general population, by a web-based cross-sectional survey assessing anxiety/depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), emotional eating (Emotional Appetite Questionnaire), food addiction (modified Yale Food Addiction Scale), and intuitive eating (Intuitive Eating Scale-2). The statistical design was based on analyses of (co)variance, correlograms, and mediations. A set of Body Mass Index (BMI) group comparisons showed that obese people reported higher levels of depression and emotional eating and that they experienced more severe and frequent food addiction symptoms than overweight and normal-weight people. Associations between anxiety, depression, food addiction symptoms’ count, and the difficulties to rely on hunger and satiety cues were found across all weight classes, suggesting that addictive-like eating may represent a unique phenotype of problematic eating behavior that is not synonymous with high BMI or obesity. Conversely, the interrelation between anxiety/depression, emotional eating, and the difficulties to rely on hunger and satiety cues was found only among obese participants, and negative emotional eating mediated the association between depression and anxiety and the difficulties to rely on hunger and satiety cues. This study emphasizes the necessity to develop more comprehensive approaches integrating emotional dysregulation and addictive-like eating behaviors to improve weight management and quality of life of obese people.

Cross-cultural adaptation and evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Emotional Appetite Questionnaire among Portuguese-speaking women

Obesity and its determinants have been the topic of broad research. Emotional appetite, defined as the tendency to overeat in response to negative emotions, is among these determinants. Some instruments were created to measure this construct, the Emotional Appetite Questionnaire (EMAQ) being one of them. The objective of this study was to perform cross-cultural adaptation and evaluation of psychometric properties of EMAQ among Portuguese-speaking women. Methodological research was carried out by translation, back-translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the instrument. A study was conducted with 450 women, through cross-cultural adaptation and evaluation of the instrument's psychometric properties (validity and reliability). The internal consistency of the instrument was measured using Cronbach's Alpha and stability was checked by means of test-retest. The instrument showed good internal consistency and intraclass correlation. The interviewees did not mention changes in food consumption linked to positive emotions and situations. There was a tendency towards reduction in emotional appetite when subjected to negative emotions and situations. The Portuguese EMAQ (QUEAPEM) was considered a reliable instrument, easy to apply and administer, to assess emotional appetite in the Portuguese language.

Negative and positive emotional eating uniquely interact with ease of activation, intensity, and duration of emotional reactivity to predict increased binge eating

Binge eating is present in obesity and clinical eating disorder populations and positively associated with poor health outcomes. Emotional eating may be related to binge eating, but relationships with emotional reactivity remain unexplored. The present study examined the relationships between negative and positive emotional eating and emotional reactivity in predicting binge eating. A cross-sectional study was employed using an online community sample in the United States. Participants (N = 258) completed surveys assessing negative (Emotional Eating Scale-Revised, depression subscale) and positive emotional eating (Emotional Appetite Questionnaire), negative and positive emotional reactivity (Perth Emotional Reactivity Scale), and binge eating (Binge Eating Scale). Six moderation analyses were calculated with negative and positive emotional reactivity (ease of activation, intensity, and duration) as moderators of the relationship between negative and positive emotional eating, respectively, and binge eating. Increased negative emotional eating was associated with increased binge eating when duration of negative emotional reactivity was 1 standard deviation above average (p < .001), but at 1 standard deviation below average (p < .001), increased negative emotional eating was associated with decreased binge eating. Increased positive emotional eating was associated with increased binge eating when intensity (p < .01) of positive emotional reactivity was 1 standard deviation above average and when activation (p < .05) of positive emotional reactivity was slightly above 1 standard deviation above average. Increased positive emotional eating was associated with decreased BE when intensity of positive emotional reactivity was 1 standard deviation below (p < .05) average. Emotional reactivity may uniquely impact the relationship between emotional eating and binge eating. Research and clinical implications for the contribution of negative and positive emotional eating and emotional reactivity on binge eating are discussed.

Relationship Between Emotional Eating and Big Five Personality Characteristics and Mood Disorder Symptoms

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between emotionally triggered eating behaviour and mood disorder symptoms and personality characteristics. The sample of the research consisted of between 17-25 years old 300 university students. The measurements are a sociodemographic, Emotional Appetite Questionnaire, Mood Disorder Questionnaire, and The Big Five Inventory. Data were analysed performing T-Tests, correlation and regression analysis. Results indicated there is a significant relationship between mood disorder symptoms, some of emotional eating appetite sub-dimensions and some variables of Big Five personality traits of agreeableness, neuroticism, conscientiousness, and extroversion personality. There was no relationship between mood disorders and emotional eating behaviors. Extroversion, openness, and conscientiousness were significant predictor of positive mood appetite, anxiety-based mood appetite, and dysphoric mood appetite respectively.