The Association of Restrained Eating and Overeating during COVID-19: A Cross-Lagged Model
Widespread overeating has been found during the 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The present study investigated whether pre-pandemic restrained eating (RE) predicted overeating during the pandemic, and further explored the behavioral (mortality threat, negative affect) mechanisms underlying thi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-12-01
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| Series: | Nutrients |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/12/4535 |
| _version_ | 1797501704537636864 |
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| author | Yicen Cui Xinyuan Liu Guangcan Xiang Qingqing Li Mingyue Xiao Hong Chen |
| author_facet | Yicen Cui Xinyuan Liu Guangcan Xiang Qingqing Li Mingyue Xiao Hong Chen |
| author_sort | Yicen Cui |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Widespread overeating has been found during the 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The present study investigated whether pre-pandemic restrained eating (RE) predicted overeating during the pandemic, and further explored the behavioral (mortality threat, negative affect) mechanisms underlying this association. An eight-month longitudinal survey was conducted with a large sample of 616 undergraduates from Southwest university. From September 2019 to April 2020, three measurements were conducted. RE was tested before the pandemic (T1), and data of mortality threat, negative affect, and overeating were collected at the middle (T2) and end of (T3) the COVID-19 crisis in China. The correlation results showed that baseline RE was positively associated with mortality threat, negative affect, and overeating at T2 and T3. Moreover, negative affect and mortality threat were positively correlated with overeating. Results from longitudinal mediation showed that baseline RE would positively predict T3 overeating through T2 negative affect, but not T2 mortality threat. This study supports and extends the counterregulatory eating hypothesis that RE positively predicts future overeating, especially through negative emotions. These findings further reveal the core psychological mechanism underlying this positive RE-overeating relation in the context of COVID-19, indicating that the individuals with higher RE could not cope with negative affect adequately, contributing to more overeating. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:22:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5ac93401f87b4159ac8b15f419585962 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:22:23Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nutrients |
| spelling | doaj.art-5ac93401f87b4159ac8b15f4195859622023-11-23T09:59:04ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432021-12-011312453510.3390/nu13124535The Association of Restrained Eating and Overeating during COVID-19: A Cross-Lagged ModelYicen Cui0Xinyuan Liu1Guangcan Xiang2Qingqing Li3Mingyue Xiao4Hong Chen5Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, ChinaKey Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, ChinaKey Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, ChinaKey Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, ChinaKey Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, ChinaKey Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, ChinaWidespread overeating has been found during the 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The present study investigated whether pre-pandemic restrained eating (RE) predicted overeating during the pandemic, and further explored the behavioral (mortality threat, negative affect) mechanisms underlying this association. An eight-month longitudinal survey was conducted with a large sample of 616 undergraduates from Southwest university. From September 2019 to April 2020, three measurements were conducted. RE was tested before the pandemic (T1), and data of mortality threat, negative affect, and overeating were collected at the middle (T2) and end of (T3) the COVID-19 crisis in China. The correlation results showed that baseline RE was positively associated with mortality threat, negative affect, and overeating at T2 and T3. Moreover, negative affect and mortality threat were positively correlated with overeating. Results from longitudinal mediation showed that baseline RE would positively predict T3 overeating through T2 negative affect, but not T2 mortality threat. This study supports and extends the counterregulatory eating hypothesis that RE positively predicts future overeating, especially through negative emotions. These findings further reveal the core psychological mechanism underlying this positive RE-overeating relation in the context of COVID-19, indicating that the individuals with higher RE could not cope with negative affect adequately, contributing to more overeating.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/12/4535restrained eatingovereatingCOVID-19mortality threatnegative affect |
| spellingShingle | Yicen Cui Xinyuan Liu Guangcan Xiang Qingqing Li Mingyue Xiao Hong Chen The Association of Restrained Eating and Overeating during COVID-19: A Cross-Lagged Model Nutrients restrained eating overeating COVID-19 mortality threat negative affect |
| title | The Association of Restrained Eating and Overeating during COVID-19: A Cross-Lagged Model |
| title_full | The Association of Restrained Eating and Overeating during COVID-19: A Cross-Lagged Model |
| title_fullStr | The Association of Restrained Eating and Overeating during COVID-19: A Cross-Lagged Model |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Association of Restrained Eating and Overeating during COVID-19: A Cross-Lagged Model |
| title_short | The Association of Restrained Eating and Overeating during COVID-19: A Cross-Lagged Model |
| title_sort | association of restrained eating and overeating during covid 19 a cross lagged model |
| topic | restrained eating overeating COVID-19 mortality threat negative affect |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/12/4535 |
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