Evaluation of Eating Behaviors in Adults with a Three-Factor Eating Scale According to Gender, Body Mass Index and Physical Activity Status: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Aim: Eating behavior affects the development of obesity and related health problems and is related to individual and environmental factors. The aim of the study is to investigate the relationship between eating behaviors and characteristics such as gender, BMI, and frequency of physical activity. Method: 436 participants aged 18-65 living in Istanbul were included in the study. Participants filled out a survey form containing questions about sociodemographic characteristics and eating habits and the Three-Factor Eating Scale (TFEQ-R18) online. The data were analyzed with IBM SPSS 26 Statistical Package Program, and the significance level was accepted as p<0.05. Results: Female participants' cognitive restraint (p<0.05) and emotional eating (p<0.001) factor scores were found to be significantly higher than male participants. According to BMI classes, the cognitive restraint score of underweight participants was lower than all other groups, and the score of obese participants was lower than overweight participants (p<0.05). Obese participants had higher uncontrolled eating scores than normal and slightly obese participants, and hunger sensitivity scores were higher than normal weight participants (p<0.05). It was determined that the cognitive restraint score of those who performed physical activity 1-3 or 3-5 times a week was higher than those who did not perform physical activity (p<0.001). Conclusion: Eating behaviors in adults may vary according to gender, BMI class and physical activity status. It is thought that determining these differences will be useful in better understanding eating behaviors and planning interventions for the negative effects of behaviors. It is thought that this study will contribute to understanding how eating behaviors assessed using the TFEQ-R18 vary according to gender, BMI classes and physical activity levels in the Turkish adult population.