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The interplay between ruminative thinking, stress and emotional eating
Tuba Yalçın1, Seda Çiftçi2, Elif Esra Ozturk3,4
1Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Izmir Katip Çelebi University, Izmir, 35620, Türkiye. tuba.yalcin@ikcu.edu.tr.
BMC Psychology
|June 17, 2026
Summary
Emotional eating, not perceived stress, strongly predicts ruminative thinking in adults. This finding highlights emotional eating as a key factor in repetitive negative thoughts, suggesting potential intervention targets for mental well-being.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Behavioral Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Ruminative thinking, a cycle of repetitive negative thoughts, is linked to prolonged stress and maladaptive eating behaviors.
- Existing research often studies stress, rumination, and eating in isolation, limiting a holistic understanding.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the independent factors associated with ruminative thinking.
- To examine the roles of perceived stress, emotional eating, and emotional appetite in community-based adults.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 626 adults (aged 18+) in Izmir, Türkiye.
- Utilized validated questionnaires: Ruminative Thought Scale (RTS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Turkish Emotional Eating Scale (TR-EES), and Emotional Appetite Questionnaire (EMAQ).
- Employed multivariable binary logistic regression to identify independent correlates of ruminative thinking.
Main Results:
- Emotional eating was the strongest independent correlate of ruminative thinking (OR 3.44, p < 0.001).
- Perceived stress was not significantly associated with ruminative thinking after adjustment (OR 1.36, p = 0.111).
- Older age was associated with lower odds of ruminative thinking (OR 0.96, p = 0.001), while eating in positive situations increased odds (OR 1.09, p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
- Emotional eating, rather than perceived stress, is the primary independent factor associated with ruminative thinking.
- Longitudinal studies are needed to establish causality between emotional eating and ruminative thinking.
- Future research should include direct dietary assessment and clinical populations to explore interventions targeting emotional eating.
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