The interaction of negative psychological well-being and picky eating in relation to disordered eating in undergraduate students

Internet addiction and its relationship with food choice motives and the risk of eating disorders among young adults in Malaysia

The COVID-19 lockdown measures have dramatically altered the daily routines of young adults. Therefore, this study aims to elucidate the relationships between internet addiction, food choice motives and the risk of eating disorders in young adults during the transition to the endemic phase of COVID-19. The Internet Addiction Test was utilised to evaluate the presence and severity of internet addiction among young adults. The Food Choice Questionnaire was employed to assess the food choice motives of young adults, while the risk of eating disorders was determined using the Eating Attitude Test-26. The relationships between internet addiction, food choice motives, and the risk of eating disorders were assessed using model 4 of the PROCESS macro for SPSS. The findings indicated that 29.0% of young adults experienced moderate-to-severe internet addiction, whereas 32.6% were at risk of eating disorders. Young adults were highly valued for the price, sensory appeal, and mood when deciding food choices. The relationship between internet addiction and the risk of eating disorders was partially mediated by convenience (b = - 0.211, SE = 0.140, - 0.548 to - 0.016) and familiarity (b = 0.219, SE = 0.122, 0.019 to 0.494). A significant direct effect was also observed between internet addiction and the risk of eating disorders (B = 0.793, p = 0.017). There is an urgent need to implement intervention strategies aimed at reducing problematic internet use, promoting healthier food choices, and fostering healthy eating habits among young adults.

Higher meal disengagement and meal presentation are uniquely related to psychological distress and lower quality of life in undergraduate students

Objective: Picky eating, which occurs in emerging adulthood and is associated with psychological distress and quality of life, has historically been conceptualized as unidimensional despite research suggesting it is a multifaceted construct. Participants: An undergraduate sample (N = 509; Mage = 19.96). Methods: A cross-sectional survey assessed picky eating facets (food variety, meal disengagement, meal presentation, and taste aversion), disordered eating, anxiety, depression, stress, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and social phobia symptoms, and quality of life. Results: Meal disengagement was uniquely related to higher anxiety, depression, stress, and social phobia symptoms and lower quality of life, whereas meal presentation was uniquely related to higher anxiety, stress, and OCD symptoms, beyond covariates and disordered eating. Food variety and taste aversion were not uniquely related to outcomes. Conclusions: Considering picky eating multidimensionally may yield important insights beyond the broader construct in terms of its relationship with psychological well-being in undergraduates.

Food Insecurity during the Pandemic in South Korea: The Effects of University Students' Perceived Food Insecurity on Psychological Well-Being, Self-Efficacy, and Life Satisfaction

This study examined the impact of university students' perceptions of food insecurity on psychological well-being, self-efficacy, and life satisfaction and observed that the students' gender plays a moderating role in this causal relationship, based on a total of 491 university students who participated in this empirical study. This study used SPSS (Version 22.0) and AMOS (Version 20.0) for the analyses. This study examines the structural relationship of this causal model. Our findings suggest that students' perceived food insecurity negatively affects the status of their psychological well-being and self-efficacy. However, contrary to expectations, perceived food insecurity has no negative effects on students' life satisfaction. In addition, the level of students' psychological well-being positively influences their life satisfaction, while self-efficacy does not. The moderating effects of gender differences in this research were also disclosed. Limitations and future research directions are also discussed.

Picky eating is associated with lower life satisfaction and elevated psychological distress and psychosocial impairment in Chinese pregnant women

OBJECTIVE

This study assessed picky eating in pregnant women by exploring whether picky eating is associated with pregnant women's well-being, including life satisfaction, psychological distress, and psychosocial impairment.

METHOD

Data collected were from 345 Chinese pregnant women (M age = 29.95 years, SD = 5.58). Pearson correlation analyses were conducted to examine zero-order correlations between picky eating and well-being variables (i.e., life satisfaction, psychological distress, and psychosocial impairment). Hierarchical multiple regressions were conducted to examine the unique associations of picky eating with well-being variables, adjusting for demographic and pregnancy-related characteristics and thinness-oriented disordered eating.

RESULTS

Picky eating was significantly and negatively correlated with life satisfaction (r = -.24, p < .001) and positively correlated with psychological distress (r = .37, p < .001) and psychosocial impairment (r = .50, p < .001). When adjusting for covariates and thinness-oriented disordered eating, picky eating was still significantly associated with lower life satisfaction, higher psychological distress, and higher psychosocial impairment.

DISCUSSION

The findings suggest that picky eating may be a significant correlate of pregnant women's poorer well-being. Future research with longitudinal designs is warranted to further examine the temporal associations between picky eating and pregnant women's well-being.

PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE

Picky eating behaviors are poorly understood in pregnant women. Our results revealed that higher picky eating behaviors were associated with lower life satisfaction and higher psychological distress and psychosocial impairment in Chinese pregnant women. Researchers and clinicians may consider picky eating in the assessment and treatment of mental health and disordered eating in pregnant women.

How multiple threats to safety affects quality of life for picky eating adults: A new explanatory model

Picky eating describes a pattern of eating characterised by a narrow dietary range with rejection of both novel and familiar foods. Research has suggested that picky eating in adulthood is associated with several negative psychosocial outcomes including impaired quality of life. This research aimed to build and test a model explaining the relationship between picky eating and quality of life. 230 participants were recruited via online support forums for picky eating, and an undergraduate research participation scheme. Participants completed self-report measures of picky eating, sensory sensitivity, disgust, anxiety, fear of negative evaluation and eating related quality of life. Regression analysis indicated that picky eating, disgust sensitivity, anxiety, and fear of negative evaluation were all associated with impaired eating-related quality of life. A theoretical model was then devised which aimed to explain the interactions between these factors, and Path Analysis indicated that this model was a good fit for the data. This Safety in Picky Eating and Quality of life (SPEQ) model suggests that threat perception and the drive for safety underlies the relationship between picky eating and impaired quality of life. The SPEQ model provides a preliminary basis for understanding how picky eating impacts quality of life in adulthood.

The lived experience of parenting a child with sensory sensitivity and picky eating

“Picky eating” is a common behaviour seen in childhood in both clinical and nonclinical populations. Sensory processing difficulties have been repeatedly associated with food refusal and picky eating behaviours. The aim of this study was to explore the lived experiences of parents/caregivers who have a child displaying both sensory processing differences and picky eating behaviours utilising Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Participants were recruited from social media support groups for parents of picky eating children. Pre‐selection criteria utilised an adapted short sensory profile questionnaire to ensure the children displayed probable/definite taste‐smell, audio‐visual and tactile sensory sensitivities. Twelve participants fulfilling the required criteria were interviewed face to face utilising a semi‐structured interview schedule. Interviews were transcribed and analysed following IPA guidelines and three common themes are presented here: Battling for control of the sensory environment, Living with stigma and, disapproval, and Staying positive and moving forward. The findings show the very considerable day‐to‐day challenges of parenting a child with sensory issues with food, including a lack of support and criticism from others. It was apparent that the parents in our study gradually adopted a positive and accepting attitude to their child's eating. This acceptance allowed them to have positive interactions around food with their child such as cooking and playing with food, suggesting that experiential activities serve an important purpose in this population. Further research should examine whether parental interventions based on acceptance of child eating behaviour, and commitment to gradual positive food interactions would be the best strategy to support parents and children.

Picky eating in children with sensory processing difference led to specific behaviours around food, for example, the identification of very small sensory differences in foods, and between different brands of the same foods. This caused disruption at family mealtimes, extra food preparation work, and judgement from others.

Parents all expressed a need for better awareness and support from health professionals and the wider public. Those who used online support groups found great comfort and advice from parents experiencing similar problems

Parents seemed to go on a journey of acceptance of their child's behaviour, and tried to adopt positive food parenting strategies. In particular, they used experiential learning strategies such as playing with, cooking with, and shopping for food which allowed them to interact with their child and food in a positive way.

Using machine learning to explore core risk factors associated with the risk of eating disorders among non-clinical young women in China: A decision-tree classification analysis

BACKGROUND

Many previous studies have investigated the risk factors associated with eating disorders (EDs) from the perspective of emotion regulation (ER). However, limited research has investigated interactions between co-existing risk factors for EDs, especially in China where research in EDs is underrepresented.

METHODS

This study examined core risk factors related to maladaptive eating behaviors and ER, and how their interactions affect the detection of EDs. Using machine learning, a decision tree model was constructed on a data set of 830 non-clinical Chinese young women with an average age of 18.91 years (SD = 0.95). The total data set was split into training and testing data sets with a ratio of 70 to 30%.

RESULTS

Body image inflexibility was identified as the major classifier for women at high risk of EDs. Furthermore, interactions between body image inflexibility, psychological distress, and body dissatisfaction were important in detecting women at high risk of EDs. Overall, the model classifying women at high-risk for EDs had a sensitivity of 0.88 and a specificity of 0.85 when applied to the testing data set.

CONCLUSIONS

Body image inflexibility, psychological distress, and body dissatisfaction were identified as the major classifiers for young women in China at high risk of EDs. Researchers and practitioners may consider these findings in the screening, prevention, and treatment of EDs among young women in China.

Food approach and avoidance appetitive traits in university students: A latent profile analysis

Eating behaviors are influenced by many factors including appetitive traits. Few studies have utilized latent profile analysis (LPA) to examine food approach and food avoidance appetitive traits. This study utilized LPA to define cluster profile groups based on appetitive traits in undergraduate and graduate/professional students at a large University in the southwest United States. Students completed a cross-sectional online survey in fall 2020 assessing demographic information, appetitive traits via the Adult Eating Behavior Questionnaire (AEBQ), and anxiety via the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7; higher scores indicate more severe anxiety symptoms). Appetitive traits were combined into eight scales (four food approach and four food avoidance traits). Latent profile analyses were conducted to identify homogenous subgroups of participants based on AEBQ scale scores. The final sample included 1243 students (mean age = 26.5 years, 73% female, 59% White, 57% undergraduates). LPA revealed four cluster profile groups: Cluster 1 (moderate eaters: lower than mean scores for food approach and avoidance traits), Cluster 2 (food seekers and avoiders: higher than mean scores for food approach and avoidance traits), Cluster 3 (food seekers: higher than mean scores for food approach traits), and Cluster 4 (food avoiders: higher than mean scores for food avoidance traits). Distribution of age, gender, race/ethnicity, and student status differed significantly between clusters. GAD-7 score was highest in Cluster 2 (food seekers and avoiders) and lowest in Cluster 1 (moderate eaters). Among the four LPA-defined cluster profile groups, students who endorsed both food approach and avoidance traits reported more severe anxiety symptoms compared to moderate eaters, food seekers, and food avoiders. It is useful to consider clusters of appetitive traits instead of individual appetitive traits when examining associations with physical and mental health.