The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has been linked with caloric overeating and weight gain. We employed a mediation analysis to determine whether pandemic-associated overeating was a direct effect of Covid-19-related anxiety (affect regulation theory) or mediated by a coping mechanism of escape eating (escape theory). A diverse pool of college students participated in a repeated cross-sectional study during three separate waves: May 2021 (wave 1,  = 349), December 2021 (wave 2,  = 253), and March 2022 (wave 3,  = 132). The results revealed a significant indirect effect of Covid-19-related anxiety on high-caloric overeating mediated by escape eating, but no direct path between Covid-19-related anxiety and caloric overeating. Analysis of racial/ethnic status uncovered significantly greater Covid-weight gain in Hispanic participants compared with White, Black, and Asian participants. Our results suggest that Covid-19 weight gain is a byproduct of a mediated escape mechanism differentially affecting racial/ethnic groups.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2024.2337009DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

covid-19-related anxiety
16
weight gain
12
overeating weight
8
caloric overeating
8
escape eating
8
2021 wave
8
mediated escape
8
overeating
5
effects covid-19-related
4
anxiety
4

Similar Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic instigated changes in almost all aspects of youth's life. While numerous studies have been implemented to understand how these changes are related to youth's development, few concerned large representative samples. This study introduces the methodology and initial results of the Quebec (Canada) Resilience Project (QRP), a representative longitudinal study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: People living with HIV (PWH) frequently have co-morbid substance use disorders that may have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined associations between COVID-related stress and increased substance use among PWH in Washington State.

Methods: Between August 2020 and March 2021, we conducted an online survey of 397 PWH in Western Washington.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

: This study examined how self-compassion and emotional regulation strategies have influenced perinatal anxiety, depression, and social anxiety during COVID-19. : A probabilistic sample, determined by convenience criteria of 265 Australian perinatal women completed an online survey containing measures of depression, anxiety, social anxiety, COVID-19 experiences, self-compassion, and emotional regulation strategies. : As hypothesised, correlation analyses showed that self-compassion and adaptive emotional regulation strategies were negatively related to anxiety, depression and social anxiety, and maladaptive strategies were positively related.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Results on parental burden during the COVID-19 pandemic are predominantly available from nonrepresentative samples. Although sample selection can significantly influence results, the effects of sampling strategies have been largely underexplored.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate how sampling strategy may impact study results.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Atypical interoception has been observed across multiple mental health conditions, including anxiety disorders and depression. Evidence suggests that not only pathological anxiety, but also heightened levels of state anxiety and stress are associated with interoceptive functioning. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the recent Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on self-reported interoception and mental health, and their relationship.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!