The Influence of Family Attachment, Academic Stress, and Loneliness on Emotional Eating Patterns Among Asian Youth in Singapore

Abstract

The practice of using food as a coping mechanism to deal with challenging emotions like stress is referred to as Emotional Eating. This study explored how family dynamics, academic pressure, and loneliness affect emotional eating behaviors in Indian and Chinese youth living in Singapore, where loneliness and academic stress showed stronger associations, while stronger family attachment seemed to reduce these behaviors. The study examined cultural factors unique to Indian and Chinese adolescents. Findings revealed a notable interaction effect between ethnicity and the RM factor concerning emotional eating, although ethnicity itself was not significant. A notable interaction was observed between loneliness and ethnicity. Strong positive correlations were identified among student stress, family attachment, and loneliness, but not with emotional eating.