High perceived stress is associated with unfavorable eating behavior in overweight and obese Finns of working age.
Stress-related eating may be a potential factor in the obesity epidemic. Rather little is known about how stress associates with eating behavior and food intake in overweight individuals in a free-living situation. Thus, the present study aims to investigate this question in psychologically distressed overweight and obese working-aged Finns. The study is a cross-sectional baseline analysis of a randomized controlled trial. Of the 339 study participants, those with all the needed data available (n = 297, 84% females) were included. The mean age was 48.9 y (SD = 7.6) and mean body mass index 31.3 kg/m(2) (SD = 3.0). Perceived stress and eating behavior were assessed by self-reported questionnaires Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Intuitive Eating Scale, the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire, Health and Taste Attitude Scales and ecSatter Inventory. Diet and alcohol consumption were assessed by 48-h dietary recall, Index of Diet Quality, and AUDIT-C. Individuals reporting most perceived stress (i.e. in the highest PSS tertile) had less intuitive eating, more uncontrolled eating, and more emotional eating compared to those reporting less perceived stress (p < 0.05). Moreover, individuals in the highest PSS tertile reported less cognitive restraint and less eating competence than those in the lowest tertile (p < 0.05). Intake of whole grain products was the lowest among those in the highest PSS tertile (p < 0.05). Otherwise the quality of diet and alcohol consumption did not differ among the PSS tertiles. In conclusion, high perceived stress was associated with the features of eating behavior that could in turn contribute to difficulties in weight management. Stress-related way of eating could thus form a potential risk factor for obesity. More research is needed to develop efficient methods for clinicians to assist in handling stress-related eating in the treatment of obese people.
Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland. Electronic address: elina.jarvela-reijonen@uef.fi.
Elina
E
Järvelä-Reijonen
Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland; Institute of Clinical Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Kuopio University Hospital, P.O. Box 100, FI-70029 KYS, Finland. Electronic address: leila.karhunen@uef.fi.
Leila
L
Karhunen
Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014, University of Jyväskylä, Finland. Electronic address: essi.sairanen@jyu.fi.
Essi
E
Sairanen
Medical Faculty, Pharmacology, Medical Nutrition Physiology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 63, FI-00014, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: sanni.rantala@helsinki.fi.
Sanni
S
Rantala
Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, P.O. Box 40, FI-00251 Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: jaana.laitinen@ttl.fi.
Jaana
J
Laitinen
Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, P.O. Box 40, FI-00251 Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: sampsa.puttonen@ttl.fi.
Sampsa
S
Puttonen
Medical Faculty, Pharmacology, Medical Nutrition Physiology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 63, FI-00014, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: katri.peuhkuri@netnut.fi.
Katri
K
Peuhkuri
Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland. Electronic address: maarit.hallikainen@uef.fi.
Maarit
M
Hallikainen
Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland. Electronic address: kristiina.juvonen@uef.fi.
Kristiina
K
Juvonen
Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014, University of Jyväskylä, Finland. Electronic address: tero.myllymaki@firstbeat.fi.
Tero
T
Myllymäki
Department of Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland. Electronic address: tiina.fohr@jyu.fi.
Tiina
T
Föhr
Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland; Institute of Clinical Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Kuopio University Hospital, P.O. Box 100, FI-70029 KYS, Finland. Electronic address: jussi.pihlajamaki@uef.fi.
Jussi
J
Pihlajamäki
Medical Faculty, Pharmacology, Medical Nutrition Physiology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 63, FI-00014, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: riitta.korpela@helsinki.fi.
Riitta
R
Korpela
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, P.O. Box 1300, FI-33101 Tampere, Finland. Electronic address: miikka.ermes@vtt.fi.
Miikka
M
Ermes
Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014, University of Jyväskylä, Finland. Electronic address: raimo.lappalainen@jyu.fi.
Raimo
R
Lappalainen
Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland; Institute of Clinical Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Kuopio University Hospital, P.O. Box 100, FI-70029 KYS, Finland. Electronic address: marjukka.kolehmainen@uef.fi.
Marjukka
M
Kolehmainen
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004435:Eating / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors; D057566:Self Report; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology
Dietary intake; Eating behavior; Emotional eating; Intuitive eating; Obesity; Perceived stress