Validation of the Turkish version of the power of food scale in adult population

Association between hedonic hunger and body mass index in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Hedonic hunger has been proposed as one of the important causes of obesity in recent years. In the present study, we systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed the relationship between hedonic hunger and body mass index (BMI) in healthy adults. PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched until January 19, 2023. All English-language original observational studies conducted on healthy adult subjects, which used the Power of Food Scale (PFS) to evaluate hedonic hunger were included. Quality assessment was done using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist, and StataMP-17 software was used for the meta-analysis. After screening, 25 observational studies with a total of 14457 participants were included. Twenty-four studies were cross-sectional, and one was a cohort study. Twenty-two studies examined both sexes, two studies were conducted only on women, and one study conducted analysis separately on men and women. The results of the meta-analysis showed a positive and significant association between hedonic hunger and BMI with a small effect size (r = 0.13, 95% CI: 0.08, 0.18). In addition, a positive significant association was observed between subscales of PFS ("food available", "food present", and "food tasted") and BMI. The association between hedonic hunger and BMI was not affected by the results of meta-regression analysis of %female, mean age & BMI, and sample size. In conclusion, there was a positive significant association between hedonic hunger and BMI, but the effect size was weak. Considering the low quality of included studies, we need longitudinal design studies considering the association between these two variables as a primary outcome for a more accurate conclusion.

The relationship between hedonic hunger and self-stigmatisation in terms of weight and self-esteem in adult people living with obesity

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to determine the factors influencing the hedonic hunger status of overweight adults and to examine the relationship between hedonic hunger, self-stigmatisation and self-esteem in terms of weight.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted with 353 people living with obesity who applied to the Endocrine and Internal Medicine Clinic in Samsun, Turkey, between June and October 2022. The data were collected using the Personal Information Form, Power of Food Scale (PFS), Weight Self-Stigmatisation Questionnaire (WSSQ) and Self-Liking/Self-Competence Scale (SLSC) through face-to-face survey method.

RESULTS

About 53.3% of the participants were ≥45 years old, 80.5% were married and 69.1% had previously followed weight loss diet. It was found that those who were aged <45 years, single, those who perceived themselves as overweight, those who had used weight loss diets before and those whose waist-hip ratio were normal had higher hedonic hunger scores (p < 0.05). A negative and significant correlation was found between PSF-Tr general dimension scores and SLSC general dimension, whereas a significant and positive correlation was observed between PSF-Tr general dimension scores and WSSQ general dimension (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

As hedonic hunger increased in adults with overweight, self-esteem decreased, and self-stigmatisation in terms of weight increased. Effective interventions are needed to cope with the hedonic hunger that contributes to obesity and to prevent the stigma and low self-esteem experienced by people living with obesity because of their excess weight.

Hedonic hunger, food addiction, and night eating syndrome triangle in adolescents and ıts relationship with body mass ındex

BACKGROUND

The relationship between adolescent obesity and eating disorders is an issue that needs urgent attention. Screening for eating disorders is as important as dietary interventions to treat obesity. This study aimed to determine the relationship between hedonic hunger, food addiction, and night eating syndrome, which are considered potential risk factors for obesity, and body mass index (BMI) in adolescents.

METHODS

The data were collected through an online questionnaire. The "Power of Food Scale (PFS)" was used to assess hedonic hunger; the "Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children 2.0 (dYFAS-C 2.0)" was used to assess food addiction; and the "Night Eating Questionnaire (NEQ)" was used to assess night eating syndrome (NES)". BMI was calculated using self-reported height and weight values of adolescents. The mediated structural model analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of hedonic hunger on BMI z score via food addiction and NES.

RESULTS

The study was conducted with 614 voluntary adolescents aged between 11 and 18 years. The dYFAS-C 2.0 and NEQ scores were found to be higher in adolescents with overweight and obesity, and the BMI z-score of the adolescents had significant positive correlation with their PFS scores (p < .001). Hedonic hunger has no direct effect on BMI independent of food addiction and NES (β = - 0.051, p = .468), but when the total indirect effect is evaluated with the bootstrap analysis, it was found that one-unit increase in hedonic hunger score increases BMI z-score by approximately 0.22 units (β = 0.223, SE = 0.046, 95% CI 0.131-0.313). Hedonic hunger, food addiction, and NES together explained 5.2% of the total variance in BMI z score.

CONCLUSION

This study showed that hedonic hunger significantly predicted BMI z-score in adolescents through food addiction and NES. This emphasizes the critical importance of evaluating adolescents in terms of hedonic hunger, food addiction, and NES in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of obesity.

The Psychological Impact of the Widespread Availability of Palatable Foods Predicts Uncontrolled and Emotional Eating in Adults

This study aimed to investigate the role of the psychological impact of environments rich in palatable foods on three aspects of eating behavior: cognitive restraint (CR), uncontrolled eating (UE), and emotional eating (EE). The hypotheses were as follows: (a) The psychological impact (i.e., motivation to eat) of an environment rich in palatable foods will positively predict CR, UE, and EE; (b) dieting will predict CR, UE, and EE; and (c) CR, UE, and EE will positively predict body mass index (BMI). This study had a cross-sectional design in which data were collected online from 413 subjects. The psychological impact of food-rich environments (food available, food present, and food tasted) was assessed using the Power of Food Scale (PFS), and CR, UE, and EE were assessed using the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-R18). Both instruments were tested for confirmatory factor analysis. The relationship between constructs was measured using partial least-square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). "Food available" positively predicted all TFEQ-R18 factors (p < 0.01). "Food present" positively predicted UE (p < 0.001) and EE (p = 0.01). People currently on a diet showed higher levels of CR (p < 0.001) and EE (p = 0.02). UE and EE positively predicted BMI. Thus, CR, UE, and EE were positively predicted by the motivation to consume palatable foods in varying proximity, suggesting that the presence of food and, more importantly, its general availability may be important determinants of eating behavior, particularly UE and EE. Health strategies should consider the influence of the food environment to prevent and better manage impairments in eating behavior. Sex differences suggest that special attention should be paid to women. Furthermore, dieting was associated with higher levels of EE, which in turn was associated with higher BMI. Weight loss interventions should consider this vulnerability.

Relationship of perceived depression, stress, anxiety levels and hedonic hunger

BACKGROUND

This study was designed to explore relationship of perceived depression, anxiety and stress (DAS) levels and hedonic hunger in adults.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey included questions about some socio-demographic characteristics, Power of Food Scale (PFS-Tr) and Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) was sent via an online platform. Self-reported weight and height were also questioned. A total of 4112 adult volunteers between the ages of 18-65 years participated in this study. 72.3% of them were female.

RESULTS

The prevalence of moderate to extremely severe depression, anxiety, and stress was reported as 31%, 34% and 13% respectively. Hedonic hunger and perceived DAS levels were higher in females (p < 0.001). Hedonic hunger was positively correlated with perceived DAS (p < 0.001). While body mass index (BMI) was positively associated with PFS-Tr total score, food available and food present; negatively associated with food tasted. Body mass index was negatively correlated with perceived DAS. Hedonic hunger and perceived DAS levels decreased with increasing age. Females were more prone to both hedonic hunger and perceived DAS. About one in three participants reported moderate to extremely severe levels of depression and anxiety. Greater perceived DAS levels are associated with hedonic hunger. Underweight individuals had higher levels of perceived DAS.

CONCLUSION

To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the prevalence and predictors of perceived DAS levels and hedonic hunger in the Turkish adult population. The findings of the study suggest that the predictors such as age, sex and BMI are a part of psychological well-being and hedonic hunger.

Exploring the pathways from the power of food to food cravings in a sample of Brazilian young adults

The present study has three main objectives: a) to analyse, for the first time, the factor structure of the Control of Eating Questionnaire (CoEQ) in a Brazilian sample; b) to explore, through in-depth interviews, motivators and consequences of food cravings among participants with high scores on the CoEQ; and c) to analyse whether and how the power of food is related to food cravings. The study involved 335 young adults aged 18-30 years, balanced for sex. The CoEQ and the Power of Food Scale (PFS) were used in an online survey. The CoEQ and PFS were subjected to confirmatory factor analysis. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with a subsample (n = 20) with high CoEQ scores. The Socratic questioning method was used for the interviews. The interviews were transcribed and analysed according to thematic content analysis. The PFS and the CoEQ showed adequate factor structure with reliable factors. The results of the qualitative analysis showed that both food availability and seeking relief from stressors serve as motives for food cravings. Concern for health and weight gain were cited as consequences of cravings, as was seeking distraction to cope with these cravings. It was found that the PFS aggregate factor was a significant influencing factor for craving control (β = 0.604; p < 0.001), craving for savoury (β = 0.382; p < 0.001), craving for sweet (β = 0.414; p < 0.001) and positive mood (β = -0.198; p < 0.001). The findings suggest that the relationship between food cravings and the power of food is significant in today's obesogenic environment.

Validation of the Italian version of the Power of Food Scale in the adult population

PURPOSE

The Power of Food Scale (PFS) is designed to measure the personal susceptibility to highly processed and palatable foods. The purpose of this study was to validate the Italian version of PFS (PFS-It) in the adult population.

METHODS

Data were obtained from 536 Italian adults aged between 18 and 86 years. The PFS-It and the Binge Eating Scale (BES) were administered to all participants.

RESULTS

The factorial structure of the PFS-It was investigated using a CFA that returned excellent fit indices. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the PFS-It total score and for its subscales (Food Available, Food Present, and Food Tasted), as well as for the BES total score, revealed good to moderate reliability. Finally, PFS-It was positively and significantly correlated with BES.

CONCLUSION

To our knowledge, this is the first study to propose the norms and psychometric characteristics of the Power of Food Scale in an Italian population. The results show that PFS-it is a valid and reliable instrument for the measurement of Hedonic Hunger in an adult Italian population.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study.

Motivation to consume palatable foods as a predictor of body image dissatisfaction: Using the Power of Food Scale in a Brazilian sample

The Power of Food Scale (PFS) is a questionnaire for self-assessing the motivation to consume palatable foods, especially in environments where food is abundant and constantly available. This study aimed to a) assess the factorial structure of the PFS in a Brazilian sample and b) examine the relationship between the power of food and body image dissatisfaction and BMI. The PFS and Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) were applied to a sample of 300 adults. Data were analysed using confirmatory factor analysis. Composite reliability (CR) was used to verify factor reliability. A partial least squares structural equation model was used to verify the effect of the PFS score on body image dissatisfaction. The PFS had an adequate factorial structure in this Brazilian sample, showing three well-defined factors: food available (CR = 0.91), food tasted (CR = 0.84), and food present (CR = 0.87). The BSQ showed one reliable factor (CR = 0.97). The power of the food aggregate factor significantly predicted body mass index (β = 0.16; p = .01) and body image dissatisfaction (β = 0.46; p < .001). The effect size was small for body mass index (f² = 0.02) and medium for body image dissatisfaction (f² = 0.26). The food present factor also had a slightly higher average among the three PFS factors. Women had higher PFS scores than men. Understanding the role that this motivation plays in physical and psychological outcomes such as body dissatisfaction can contribute to developing treatment strategies and support health professionals' performance in clinical settings.