Background
Methods
Participants
Instruments
Dutch eating behaviour questionnaire (DEBQ)
Depression, anxiety, and stress scales (DASS-21)
Males (n = 201) % (n) | Females (n = 223) % (n) | P-value* | All (n = 424) % (n) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mean Age | 20.4 (SD = 1.6) | 20.0 (SD = 1.6) | 0.014 | 20.2 (SD = 1.6) |
Place of birth | 0.593 | |||
Hong Kong | 84.1% (169) | 80.3% (179) | 82.1% (348) | |
China | 10.4% (21) | 13.0% (29) | 11.8% (50) | |
Other | 5.5% (11) | 6.7% (15) | 6.1% (26) | |
Parent’s education level | 0.911 | |||
Up to high school | 58.21% (117) | 58.74% (131) | 58.49% (248) | |
University or more | 41.79% (84) | 41.26% (92) | 41.51% (176) | |
Faculty | < 0.001 | |||
Arts/ Education | 5.47% (11) | 30.9% (69) | 18.9% (80) | |
Business | 18.4% (37) | 13.5% (30) | 15.8% (67) | |
Social Science | 8.46% (17) | 12.6% (28) | 10.6% (45) | |
Science/Engineering | 40.3% (81) | 14.8% (33) | 26.9% (114) | |
Law | 6.0% (12) | 4.04% (9) | 5.0% (21) | |
Medicine/Dentistry | 21.4% (43) | 24.2% (54) | 22.9% (97) | |
Religious affiliation | 0.533 | |||
Protestant | 18.9% (38) | 23.3% (52) | 21.2% (90) | |
Catholic | 4.0% (8) | 2.7% (6) | 3.3% (14) | |
Buddhist | 3.0% (6) | 1.8% (4) | 2.4% (10) | |
No religion | 74.1% (149) | 72.2% (161) | 73.1% (310) | |
Housing | 0.548 | |||
Live at home | 43.3% (87) | 46.2% (103) | 44.8% (190) | |
Dorm or elsewhere | 56.7% (114) | 53.8% (120) | 55.2% (234) | |
Part-time job | 0.522 | |||
Yes | 50.3% (101) | 53.4% (119) | 51.9% (220) | |
No | 49.8% (100) | 46.6% (104) | 48.1% (204) | |
Boyfriend/girlfriend | 0.680 | |||
Yes | 57.2% (115) | 59.2% (132) | 58.3% (247) | |
No | 42.8% (86) | 40.8% (91) | 41.8% (177) | |
Exercising at least moderately | 0.049 | |||
Yes | 34.3% (69) | 25.6% (57) | 29.7% (126) | |
No | 65.7% (132) | 74.4% (166) | 70.3% (298) | |
Mean Life satisfaction score (SD)a | 3.6 (SD = 0.6) | 3.6 (SD = 0.6) | 0.959 | 3.6 (SD = 0.6) |
Mean Perceived health score b(SD) | 3.9 (SD = 0.7) | 3.6 (SD = 0.7) | < 0.001 | 3.7 (SD = 0.7) |
Mean Body Mass Index (SD) | 22.0 (SD = 2.4) | 20.6 (SD = 2.8) | < 0.001 | 21.3 (SD = 2.7) |
Mean Emotional Eating Score (SD) | 1.87 (SD = 0.7) | 2.42 (SD = 0.9) | < 0.001 | 2.16 (SD = 0.8) |
DEBQ score ≤ 3.25 | 95.5% (192) | 85.2% (190) | < 0.001 | 90.1% (382) |
DEBQ score > 3.25 | 4.5% (9) | 14.8% (33) | 9.9% (42) | |
DASS-21 Depression levels | < 0.001 | |||
Normal (0–9 points) | 84.1% (169) | 65.9% (147) | 74.5% (316) | |
Mild (10–13 points) | 10.5% (21) | 13.0% (29) | 11.8% (50) | |
Moderate (14–20 points) | 4.0% (8) | 15.3% (34) | 9.9% (42) | |
Severe (21–27 points) | 1.49% (3) | 4.93% (11) | 3.3% (14) | |
Extremely Severe (28+ points) | 0.0% (0) | 0.90% (2) | 0.47% (2) | |
DASS-21 Anxiety levels | 0.002 | |||
Normal (0–7 points) | 88.6% (178) | 72.6% (162) | 80.2% (340) | |
Mild (8–9 points) | 2.5% (5) | 6.7% (15) | 4.7% (20) | |
Moderate (10–14 points) | 6.5% (13) | 13.0% (29) | 9.9% (42) | |
Severe (15–19 points) | 0.5% (1) | 2.2% (5) | 1.4% (6) | |
Extremely Severe (20+ points) | 2.0% (4) | 5.4% (12) | 3.8% (16) | |
DASS-21 Stress levels | < 0.001 | |||
Normal (0–14 points) | 94.5% (190) | 84.8% (189) | 89.4% (379) | |
Mild (15–18 points) | 0.50% (1) | 7.2% (16) | 4.0% (17) | |
Moderate (19–25 points) | 2.0% (4) | 7.6% (17) | 5.0% (21) | |
Severe (26–33 points) | 3.0% (6) | 0.4% (1) | 1.7% (7) | |
Extremely Severe (34+ points) | 0.0% (0) | 0.0% (0) | 0.0% (0) |
Covariates and secondary outcomes
Statistical analysis
Results
Participants characteristics
Prevalence of emotional eating
Psychosocial factors associated with emotional eating
Factors | Male students (n = 201) | Female students (n = 223) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Emotional Eating % (n) | Unadjusted OR (95% CI) | Multivariable OR (95% CI) | Emotional Eating % (n) | Unadjusted OR (95% CI) | Multivariable OR (95% CI) | |
Age | ||||||
< 21 years of age | 1.9% (2) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 15.7% (22) | 1.00 | – |
≥ 21 years of age | 7.4% (7) | 4.14 (0.84–20.4)† | 2.71 (0.47–15.7) | 13.3% (11) | 0.82 (0.38–1.79) | |
Place of birth | ||||||
Hong Kong | 4.1% (7) | 1.00 | – | 14.5% (26) | 1.00 | – |
Foreign-born | 6.3% (2) | 1.54 (0.31–7.79) | 15.9% (7) | 1.11 (0.45–2.76) | ||
Parental education | ||||||
Up to high school | 4.3% (5) | 1.00 | – | 17.6% (23) | 1.00 | – |
University or more | 4.8% (4) | 1.12 (0.29–4.30) | 10.9% (10) | 0.57 (0.26–1.27) | ||
Area of study | ||||||
Non-Science majors | 2.6% (2) | 1.00 | – | 11.8% (16) | 1.00 | – |
Science majors | 5.6% (7) | 2.24 (0.45–11.1) | 19.5% (17) | 1.82 (0.87–3.83) | ||
Religiosity | ||||||
No religion | 4.7% (7) | 1.00 | – | 15.5% (25) | 1.00 | – |
Has religion | 3.8% (2) | 0.81 (0.16–4.04) | 12.9% (8) | 0.81 (0.34–1.90) | ||
Housing | ||||||
Live at home | 8.0% (7) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 14.6% (15) | 1.00 | – |
Dorm/Elsewhere | 1.8% (2) | 0.20 (0.04–1.01)† | 0.33 (0.06–1.94) | 15.0% (18) | 1.04 (0.49–2.18) | |
Part-time job | ||||||
Yes | 2.0% (2) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 17.6% (21) | 1.00 | – |
No | 7.0% (9) | 3.73 (0.76–18.4)† | 2.01 (0.33–12.3) | 11.5% (12) | 0.61 (0.28–1.31) | |
In a romantic relationship? | ||||||
Yes | 4.3% (5) | 1.00 | – | 8.3% (11) | 1.00 | 1.00 |
No | 4.7% (4) | 1.07 (0.28–4.12) | 24.2% (22) | 3.51 (1.61–7.67)‡ | 3.45 (1.18–10.0)* | |
DASS-Depression | ||||||
Normal score | 1.2% (2) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.7% (1) | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Depressive symptoms | 21.9% (7) | 23.4 (4.60–119)§ | 10.1 (1.51–67.4)* | 42.1% (32) | 106 (14.1–799)§ | 44.5 (5.58–356)§ |
DASS-Anxiety | ||||||
Normal score | 2.2% (4) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 6.2% (10) | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Anxiety symptoms | 21.7% (5) | 12.1 (2.98–49.1)§ | 1.13 (0.13–9.75) | 37.7% (23) | 9.20 (4.04–21.0)* | 0.86 (0.28–2.68) |
DASS-Stress | ||||||
Normal score | 2.6% (5) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 6.9% (13) | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Stress symptoms | 36.4% (4) | 21.1 (4.64–96.3)§ | 3.43 (0.37–32.3) | 58.8% (20) | 19.3 (7.98–46.9)§ | 5.65 (1.93–16.6)‡ |
Associations of emotional eating with bodyweight, perceived health, perceived life satisfaction and obesity
Mean (SD) | P-value | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Males | Individuals with negative EE (n = 9) | Body Mass Index | 24.0 (2.5) | 0.024 |
Individuals without negative EE (n = 192) | 21.9 (2.4) | |||
Individuals with negative EE (n = 9) | Perceived health score | 3.00 (0.9) | 0.001 | |
Individuals without negative EE (n = 192) | 3.89 (0.6) | |||
Individuals with negative EE (n = 9) | Life satisfaction score | 3.00 (0.9) | 0.013 | |
Individuals without negative EE (n = 192) | 3.65 (0.6) |
DEBQ Score | Mean (SD) | P-value | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Females | Individuals with negative EE (n = 33) | Body Mass Index | 22.3 (4.0) | 0.01 |
Individuals without negative EE (n = 190) | 20.3 (2.4) | |||
Individuals with negative EE (n = 33) | Perceived health score | 2.94 (0.6) | < 0.001 | |
Individuals without negative EE (n = 190) | 3.69 (0.6) | |||
Individuals with negative EE (n = 33) | Life satisfaction score | 3.09 (0.6) | < 0.001 | |
Individuals without negative EE (n = 190) | 3.71 (0.6) |