Objective: This study aimed to investigates the relationship between coronavirus anxiety, hedonic hunger, and weight changes among adults during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Material and Methods: A descriptive study was conducted with 377 adults aged 18-64 residing in Mersin, Türkiye. Data for the study were collected using an online questionnaire comprising 4 sections: the personal information form, the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale, the Turkish Emotional Eating Scale, and the Power of Food Scale. Results: Nearly half of the participants (48.5%) reported weight gain during the pandemic. Women exhibited significantly higher levels of coronavirus anxiety, emotional eating, and hedonic hunger compared to men (p<0.05). Additionally, participants who did not receive a COVID-19 diagnosis and who were obese reported higher levels of emotional eating (p<0.05). Participants whose appetite remained unchanged during periods of stress or anxiety demonstrated lower levels of coronavirus anxiety (p<0.05), while those with increased appetite had higher levels of emotional eating and hedonic hunger (p<0.05). As coronavirus anxiety levels increased, emotional eating (r=0.180, p<0.05) and hedonic hunger (r=0.307, p<0.05) also increased. Additionally, weak positive and significant correlations were observed between emotional eating and hedonic hunger scores and increases in body weight (r=0.203, p<0.05). Conclusion: This cross-sectional study shows that there are relationships between anxiety levels during the pandemic and unhealthy eating behaviors. These findings point to the importance of addressing anxiety and eating behavior together in public health planning. However, due to the cross-sectional nature of the study, causal inferences cannot be made.
Saltekin et al. (Thu,) studied this question.