Emotional Eating Behaviour With Physical Activity, Stress, and Depression in Women: A Cross-Sectional Study
Abstract
Background. Emotional eating, defined as consuming food in response to negative emotions such as sadness, stress, or depression, affects over half of the population and is more prevalent among women, posing risks to both physical and mental health.
Aim. This study aimed to characterise emotional eating behaviour in women and examine its associations with sadness, stress, depression, and physical activity across different age groups.
Methods. Cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted with 250 women ranging from adolescence to older adulthood. Emotional eating was assessed using the Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire, physical activity was measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, perceived stress was evaluated with the Perceived Stress Scale, and depression was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory.
Results. The majority of participants were aged 17–25 years (83.2%), students (75.6%), and had a normal body mass index (41.6%). Overall, 66% of participants exhibited moderate emotional eating, 42.4% reported moderate physical activity, 74.4% experienced moderate stress, and 38.8% were classified as non-depressed. Significant differences across age groups were observed for stress and depression (p < 0.05), while no significant differences were found for emotional eating and physical activity (p > 0.05). Correlation analyses indicated that emotional eating was not significantly associated with physical activity, but it was significantly associated with stress and depression (p < 0.05).
Conclusions. Emotional eating and physical activity do not vary significantly across female age groups, whereas stress and depression do. Emotional eating behaviour is significantly related to stress and depression but not to physical activity. These findings highlight the importance of addressing emotional and psychological factors when considering eating behaviours in women.
Keywords: emotional eating; physical activity; stress; depression; women
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