Emotional eating (EE) is prevalent among women and is associated with obesity. The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and mandatory quarantine increased the risk of mental symptoms and, inferentially, emotional eating (EE). We investigated the EE prevalence and predictors during this pandemic. Overall, 638 women, ages 18–39, completed an online survey incorporating the Emotional Eating Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. We asked about nutrition and collected data on weight, height, and pandemic responses. Most respondents (47.2%) reported low EE; 40.4% were “moderate” and 12.4% “high” emotional eaters; 42.8% reported depression, 27% anxiety, 71% moderate stress, and 12.5% severe stress. The main EE indicators/predictors were fat intake (β = 0.192, p = 0.004), number of meals (β = 0.187, p < 0.001), sugar consumption (β = 0.150, p < 0.001), body mass index (β = 0.149, p < 0.001), stress (β = 0.143, p = 0.004), energy intake (β = 0.134, p = 0.04), and fast food intake frequency (β = 0.111, p < 0.01). EE score correlated negatively with increased family income (β = −0.081, p = 0.049). Higher stress correlated with worse sleep, less sleep, and less physical activity. Emotional eating is common among young Saudi women during the pandemic. We recommend healthy food choices and increased physical activity to improve sleep and mitigate stress.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, Stress, quarantine, BMI, food consumption, Emotional Eating Scale, Increased intake, young women, 【초록키워드】 pandemic, Anxiety, Depression, physical activity, obesity, activity, Prevalence, body mass index, Sleep, age, women, predictor, scale, Coronavirus 2019, Quality, moderate, Frequency, sugar, emotional, index, collected data, Perceived Stress Scale, Pittsburgh, MOST, eating, Energy intake, responses, mitigate, fat, prevalent, IMPROVE, healthy, reported, investigated, less, correlated, asked, Generalized, increased the risk, mandatory, mental symptom, 【제목키워드】 eating,