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Understanding food addiction through the lens of psychological well-being, self-control, and eating behavior: a cross-sectional study
This study explored the interplay among psychological distress, self-control, and sustainable healthy eating behaviors in relation to food addiction, examining both their direct and indirect pathways in an adult population. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 985 adults (mean age = 28.8 ± 10.9) recruited from community health centers in Elazığ, Turkey. Validated instruments assessed depression, anxiety, and stress (DASS-21), self-control, sustainable healthy eating, and food addiction (YFAS). Data were analyzed using logistic regression and structural equation modeling (SEM). Food addiction was identified in 34.9% of participants. Compared with non-addicted individuals, those meeting addiction criteria reported significantly higher depression, anxiety, and stress levels, alongside markedly lower self-control (37.1 ± 4.3 vs. 40.2 ± 4.3, p < 0.001) and sustainable healthy eating scores (15.0 ± 3.9 vs. 17.6 ± 4.7, p < 0.001). Anxiety emerged as the strongest predictor (OR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.20–1.34), whereas higher self-control (OR = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.88–0.95) and sustainable dietary habits (OR = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.90–0.97) were protective. The final model accounted for 44% of the variance in food addiction. SEM indicated that both self-control and sustainable eating behaviors mediated the effect of stress on food addiction. Anxiety shows the greatest direct impact on food addiction, while self-control and sustainable eating act as significant mediators, particularly within the stress–addiction pathway. These results highlight the importance of integrated psychological and behavioral interventions aimed at reducing food addiction risk. [NPID: Food addiction, self-control, eating behaviors, anxiety, dietary habits]
Year: 2025
