Eating Behavior of Brazilian College Students: Influences of Lifestyle, Negative Affectivity, and Personal Characteristics

Abstract

In this study we proposed to estimate the impact of lifestyle, negative affectivity, and college students’ personal characteristics on eating behavior. We aimed to verify that negative affectivity moderates the relationship between lifestyle and eating behavior. We assessed eating behaviors of cognitive restraint (CR), uncontrolled eating (UE), and emotional eating (EE)) with the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-18. We assessed lifestyle with the Individual Lifestyle Profile, and we assessed negative affectivity with the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21. We constructed and tested (at p < .05) a hypothetical causal structural model that considered global (second-order) and specific (first-order) lifestyle components, negative affectivity and sample characteristics for each eating behavior dimension. Participants were 1,109 college students ( M age = 20.9, SD = 2.7 years; 65.7% females). We found significant impacts of lifestyle second-order components on negative affectivity (β = −0.57–0.19; p < 0.001–0.01) in all models. Physical and psychological lifestyle components impacted directly only on CR (β=−0.32–0.81; p < 0.001). Negative affectivity impacted UE and EE (β = 0.23–0.30; p < 0.001). For global models, we found no mediation pathways between lifestyle and CR or UE. For specific models, negative affectivity was a mediator between stress management and UE (β=−0.07; p < 0.001). Negative affectivity also mediated the relationship between thoughts of dropping an undergraduate course and UE and EE (β = 0.06–0.08; p < 0.001). Participant sex and weight impacted all eating behavior dimensions (β = 0.08–0.34; p < 0.001–0.01). Age was significant for UE and EE (β=−0,14– −0.09; p < 0.001–0.01). Economic stratum influenced only CR (β = 0.08; p = 0.01). In sum, participants’ lifestyle, negative emotions and personal characteristics were all relevant for eating behavior assessment.

Afetividade negativa e intenção de abandono entre estudantes de Ciências Contábeis durante a pandemia da Covid-19

“…Este achado reforça a ideia de que é adequado mensurar a afetividade negativa como um único constructo formado pelos sintomas de depressão, ansiedade e estresse. Martins et al (2019), Campos et al (2020) e Martins et al (2021) realizaram análises semelhantes, nas quais os autores avaliam o constructo afetividade negativa como um elemento formado pelos constructos depressão, ansiedade e estresse. Desse modo, no modelo estrutural final, será calculada a variável latente afetividade negativa a partir dos constructos depressão, ansiedade e estresse.…”

“…Sugere-se que a intenção de abandono sofre influência direta da atitude (H1), da norma subjetiva (H2), do controle comportamental percebido (H3) e da afetividade negativa (H4). A afetividade negativa nesta pesquisa é avaliada a partir de sintomas de depressão, ansiedade e estresse, conforme sugere a literatura (Martins et al, 2019;Martins et al, 2021;Campos et al, 2020).…”

What are the motives underlying Brazilians' food choices? An analysis of the Food Choice Questionnaire and its relationship with different sample characteristics

“…Corroborating our findings, the literature (Clarke & Best, 2017, 2019; Jallinoja, Niva, Helakorpi, & Kahma, 2014; Wardle et al, 2004) demonstrates that diet can be seen by dieters as effective for losing weight and promoting health. However, the practice of diets, especially restrictive ones, can negatively influence people's life (Franchi, 2012) and explain the greater importance placed on mood and convenience, since dieters can choose foods to control their emotions (Martins, da Silva, Maroco, & Campos, 2021). Unlike our study, Clarke and Best (2019) showed that dieters did not see the time and effort involved in preparing meals as barriers to choosing foods.…”

“…According to Prescott (2017), emotions are powerful drivers of behaviors and are key in promoting preferences, in particular those related to sensory characteristics of foods (e.g., odors and flavors). Individuals with a higher BMI could choose to eat highly palatable foods or the best‐known ones to regulate their emotions (Gibson, 2006; Martins et al, 2021). Furthermore, as global guidelines encourage weight loss to promote health (World Health Organization, 2020), individuals with obesity may experience social pressure to choose foods that achieve this goal.…”

Negative affectivity and dropout intention among Accounting Science students during the covid-19 pandemic

“…The symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress have been worked on in the literature as negative affectivity (Martins et al, 2019;Martins et al, 2021;Campos et al, 2020). Watson and Clark (1984) suggest that negative affectivity can be explained as a state in which an individual develops negative feelings and emotions.…”