Assessing the Relationship Between Problem Eating Behavior and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation in a College Sample

This study further defines the relationship between difficulties in emotion regulation and problem eating behavior. A total of 403 psychology undergraduate students completed measures of emotion regulation, disordered eating patterns, depression, and anxiety. Results from correlational and regression analyses suggest that difficulties in emotion regulation are related to problem eating behavior (r = .360, p\u3c .001) and that overt problem eating behaviors and attitudes may be impacted more directly by symptoms of mood disorders rather than difficulties in emotion regulation (R2 = .190, F(4, 368) = 18.647, p\u3c .001). Nonacceptance of emotional experience showed a significant impact on problem eating behavior above and beyond mood (R2 = .193, F(2, 370) = 44.162, p\u3c .001; MOOD, β = .339, p\u3c .001; nonaccept, β = .143, p = .014). The results of this study may have implications for prevention and treatment of problem eating behavior