Associations of socio-demographic and lifestyle factors with emotional eating among Malaysian adults during the covid-19 pandemic

Che Ladin, Rosma Ilyana Zakira (2021) Associations of socio-demographic and lifestyle factors with emotional eating among Malaysian adults during the covid-19 pandemic. [Project Paper] (Submitted)

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Abstract

The prevalence of the COVID-19 cases in Malaysia remains high and Malaysia is having various forms of lockdowns that may affect people's lifestyles, including their eating habits. One of the eating habits is emotional eating. Both negative and positive emotions can lead to emotional eating. This is an online cross-sectional study that aims to examine the associations of socio-demographic and lifestyle factors with emotional eating among Malaysian adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 309 respondents (25.9% males, 74.1% females) aged 18 to 59 years from all states in Malaysia participated in this study. All respondents were required to complete a set of self-administered questionnaire on socio-demographic factors, weight and height, eating behaviours, food delivery habits, night eating habits, sleep quality, physical activity, stress, and emotional eating, via Google Form setting. Results showed that the prevalence of emotional eating among Malaysian adults was 54.% (Male: 26.3%; Female: 73.7%),with a mean score of 35.20 ± 11.995. For socio-demographic factors, age, marital status, and occupation were significantly associated with emotional eating (r : -0.132, p =0.020, x* =11.502, p =0.001; x* 13.950, p = 0.007). Supper consumption was significantly associated with emotional eating ( x* =19.478, p = 0.007). Eating out behaviour was not associated with emotional eating, except for the frequency of eating outside or making delivery orders at hawker centers, coffee shops, or other food stalls during the COVID-19 pandemic ( x* =22.81,p=0.002). Besides, sleep quality ( x* =6.910 ,p = 0.009), night eating syndrome ( x* =9.012 ,p =0.003), physical activity ( x* =11.289,p = 0.004), and stress (r = 0.305, p = 0.001) were significantly associated with emotional eating. However, meal consumptions and BMI did not show significant associations with emotional eating during the COVID-19 pandemic. In conclusion, about half of the Malaysian adults were reported to have some forms of emotional eating during the COVID-19 pandemic, whereby sociodemographic (age, marital status, occupation), and lifestyle (snacking during supper, frequency of eating outside or making food deliveries, sleep quality, night eating syndrome, physical activity, and stress) factors were associated with emotional eating. Further study is needed to confirm the main factors that contribute to emotional eating among Malaysian adults. Health care professionals may need to consider the emotional eating problem in future nutrition and health promotion programs.

Item Type:	Project Paper
Faculty:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Science
Depositing User:	Ms Norafizah Radzuan
Date Deposited:	04 Sep 2023 04:39
Last Modified:	04 Sep 2023 04:39
URI:	http://psaspb.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/1437

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