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The Impact of Fear of Missing out (FoMO) on Addictive Eating: A Moderated Mediation Model
Janelle A Skinner1,2, Rebecca A Collins1,2, Kerith Duncanson2,3
1School of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.
Background/Objectives:
Fear of missing out (FoMO) describes the concern of missing out on a rewarding experience, a contemporary psychological phenomenon that has yet to be explored in relation to addictive eating. This exploratory study examined the relationship between FoMO and addictive eating, and the effect of reward-related eating and mental health status (anxiety, depression, and stress) on the relationship.
Methods:
A sample of 227 adults (mean age 49.4 years; 79.3% women) completed an online survey to assess addictive eating (Yale Food Addiction Scale), FoMO (Fear of Missing Out Scale), reward-related eating (Reward-Based Eating Drive Scale), anxiety, depression, and perceived stress (GAD-7, PHQ-8, PSS-4). Mediation and moderated mediation analyses were performed to determine relationships between variables.
Results:
A direct relationship between FoMO and addictive eating was found. The relationship was partially mediated by reward-related eating after accounting for BMI and gender. Anxiety severity was a significant moderator of the relationship between reward-related eating levels and addictive eating symptoms.
Conclusions:
This study provides insights that can assist in informing interventions to mitigate the negative effects of FoMO on eating behaviours, particularly among populations vulnerable to anxiety.
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