Examining Relations Among Obesity, Food Insecurity, Stress, and Emotional Eating Among Low-Income African American Women.

Project Director:

Carol Connell, PhD, RD
Email: Carol.Connell@usm.edu
Phone: 601-266-6341

Kristi Lofton, MS,RD
Email: Kristi.Lofton@usm.edu
Phone: 601-266-5033

Abstract of Study:
Amidst a plentiful food environment that is perceived as highly accessible and affordable, research indicates that food insecurity and obesity occur paradoxically. Stress and emotional eating are two psychosocial factors that have been documented to impact eating behavior and weight. Individuals from households that experience food insecurity have reported anxiety and preoccupation with food among other psychosocial impacts. These stress-related food insecurity experiences may prompt individuals to development food-related behaviors such as emotional eating. While some studies have reported a stress/food insecurity relationship, none to date have looked at the impact of stress or emotional eating on the food insecurity/obesity relationship. This study aims to assess whether a relationship exists between food insecurity and overweight/obesity among low-income women in south Mississippi and to what extent this relationship is moderated by stress and/or emotional eating. A sample of 400 low-income women will be recruited to complete a survey on food security, perceived stress, and emotional eating. Heights and weights of the participants will be measured and BMI calculated in order to determine weight status. Data analysis will explore main effects as well as interaction effects o f the independent variables (food insecurity, stress, emotional eating) on the dependent variable (BMI/weight status). Results from this proposed research may be used by policy makers, social service providers and Head Start administrators to explore programs that would be appropriate to ameliorate food insecurity and overweight among the populations that they serve.