Perceived Stress and Associations Between Food Insecurity, Diet Quality, and Eating Behaviors: Evidence from Two
David G Figueroa1, Athena Cisneroz1, Caroline A Stiver1
1Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
Nutrients
|April 14, 2026
Summary
Perceived stress mediates the link between food insecurity and maladaptive eating behaviors like reward-based and comfort eating. This highlights stress as a key factor in how food insecurity impacts eating habits.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Nutrition Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Food insecurity is linked to negative health outcomes.
- Understanding the psychological mechanisms connecting food insecurity and eating behaviors is crucial.
- Previous research has not fully explored the mediating role of perceived stress.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if perceived stress mediates the relationship between food insecurity and diet quality.
- To examine the mediating role of perceived stress in the association between food insecurity and maladaptive eating behaviors (reward-based and comfort eating).
Main Methods:
- Two cross-sectional studies were conducted using self-report measures.
- Study 1 (N=624) examined food security, perceived stress, diet quality, and reward-based eating in women.
- Study 2 (N=1993) assessed food security, perceived stress, and comfort eating in a diverse U.S. sample.
Main Results:
- Perceived stress was positively correlated with food insecurity in both studies.
- Perceived stress mediated the link between food insecurity and reward-based eating in Study 1.
- Perceived stress mediated the association between food insecurity and comfort eating in Study 2.
Conclusions:
- Perceived stress plays a significant mediating role between food insecurity and maladaptive eating behaviors.
- Findings suggest stress is a key correlate in the food insecurity-eating behavior relationship.
- Further research is needed to establish causal links.
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