Unveiling the Association Between Emotional Eating and Psychosocial Health in Spanish Adolescents: The EHDLA Study

Emotional eating has been associated with several adverse health outcomes, yet research examining its relationship with psychosocial health among adolescents remains limited. The objective of the study was to investigate the association between emotional eating and psychosocial health in Spanish adolescents. Cross-sectional data were collected from 633 participants (56.9% female) aged 12-17 years from all three secondary schools in the Valle de Ricote (Spain), as part of the Eating Healthy and Daily Life Activities (EHDLA) study. Emotional eating was assessed using the Emotional Eating Scale Adapted for Use in Children and Adolescents (EES-C), while psychosocial health was measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). To explore the relationship between emotional eating and psychosocial health, generalised linear models (GLMs) were applied. Results revealed significant associations between higher levels of overall emotional eating (unstandardized beta coefficient [B] = 0.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.02-0.07, p = 0.001) and elevated SDQ scores. Specifically, these associations were evident in response to anger (B = 0.16, 95% CI 0.07-0.25, p = 0.001), anxiety (B = 0.13, 95% CI 0.05-0.21, p = 0.001), restlessness (B = 0.17, 95% CI 0.06-0.29, p = 0.004), and helplessness (B = 0.25, 95% CI 0.06-0.45, p = 0.011). These findings suggest that adolescents who engage in emotional eating may experience greater psychosocial challenges. This study underscores the importance of considering adolescent dietary habits as a crucial aspect in psychosocial health.