Craving under pressure: the interplay between hedonic hunger, mental health, and ultra-processed food consumption in
Elif Akin1, Hatice Merve Bayram1, Arda Ozturkcan1
1Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Istanbul Gelisim University, Istanbul, Türkiye.
Background:
Shift-work is linked to irregular eating patterns and greater ultra-processed food (UPF) intake, potentially driven by hedonic hunger and psychological distress. This study aimed to examine the relationship between hedonic hunger, UPF consumption, and mental health among shift-working healthcare professionals.
Methods:
In this cross-sectional analytical observational study, 326 healthcare shift-workers (66.9% female) completed questionnaires including sociodemographic details, the Power of Food Scale (PFS-Tr), the Single-Item Food Choice Questionnaire (FCQ), the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), and the short screening questionnaire for highly processed food consumption (sQ-HPF).
Results:
63.2% were categorized as high-level UPF consumers. PFS-Tr scores correlated positively with UPF intake, FCQ, depression, stress, and anxiety. Hedonic hunger was significantly associated with UPF consumption directly (β = 0.112) and indirectly through stress (β = 0.209).
Conclusion:
Hedonic hunger was associated with UPF intake in shift-workers through psychological distress and food motivation.
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