TY - JOUR
T1 - The behavioral pathway model to overweight and obesity
T2 - coping strategies, eating behaviors and body mass index
AU - Varela, Carmen
AU - Andrés, Ana
AU - Saldaña, Carmina
N1 - Funding Information:
This study is part of the project PSI2013-45292-R funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
PY - 2020/10/1
Y1 - 2020/10/1
N2 - Purpose: Obese and overweight people deal with more daily problems and stressful situations than normal-weight individuals, for example, discrimination and bias. The aims of the present study were twofold: to identify differences between overweight and normal-weight people in coping strategies and eating behaviors, and to examine the relationship between coping strategies, eating behaviors and BMI. Methods: Sample of the present study consisted of 473 participants, 76.7% women (mean age = 32.7; SD = 11.4). Participants completed an ad hoc sociodemographic data questionnaire, the Coping Strategies Inventory, and the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Welch’s t test and X2 comparison analysis were used to identify differences in coping strategies and eating behaviors, according two BMI groups, normal weight and overweight. To analyze the relationship between coping strategies, eating behaviors and BMI, a structural equation modeling was conducted. Results: Overweight participants score significantly higher in passive coping strategies such as self-criticism, wishful thinking and social withdrawal, and unhealthy eating behaviors such as emotional eating and restrained eating. Structural equation modeling included these variables, coping strategies are more likely to conduct to unhealthy eating behaviors and these are more likely to promote and maintain a high BMI. The model showed an adequate data fit. Conclusions: This research proposes a relationship between the variables analyzed. It has been proved that passive coping strategies predict a high BMI via unhealthy eating behaviors, especially emotional eating. These results are promising to improve the current prevention obesity programs and weight control treatments. Level of evidence: Level III, case–control analytic study.
AB - Purpose: Obese and overweight people deal with more daily problems and stressful situations than normal-weight individuals, for example, discrimination and bias. The aims of the present study were twofold: to identify differences between overweight and normal-weight people in coping strategies and eating behaviors, and to examine the relationship between coping strategies, eating behaviors and BMI. Methods: Sample of the present study consisted of 473 participants, 76.7% women (mean age = 32.7; SD = 11.4). Participants completed an ad hoc sociodemographic data questionnaire, the Coping Strategies Inventory, and the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Welch’s t test and X2 comparison analysis were used to identify differences in coping strategies and eating behaviors, according two BMI groups, normal weight and overweight. To analyze the relationship between coping strategies, eating behaviors and BMI, a structural equation modeling was conducted. Results: Overweight participants score significantly higher in passive coping strategies such as self-criticism, wishful thinking and social withdrawal, and unhealthy eating behaviors such as emotional eating and restrained eating. Structural equation modeling included these variables, coping strategies are more likely to conduct to unhealthy eating behaviors and these are more likely to promote and maintain a high BMI. The model showed an adequate data fit. Conclusions: This research proposes a relationship between the variables analyzed. It has been proved that passive coping strategies predict a high BMI via unhealthy eating behaviors, especially emotional eating. These results are promising to improve the current prevention obesity programs and weight control treatments. Level of evidence: Level III, case–control analytic study.
KW - Coping strategies
KW - Eating behaviors
KW - Obesity
KW - Overweight
KW - Structural equation modeling
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85088007548&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s40519-019-00760-2
DO - 10.1007/s40519-019-00760-2
M3 - Article
C2 - 31376111
AN - SCOPUS:85088007548
SN - 1124-4909
VL - 25
SP - 1277
EP - 1283
JO - Eating and Weight Disorders
JF - Eating and Weight Disorders
IS - 5
ER -