Association between work-family conflict patterns and obesity-related eating behavior among working adults

Work-family conflict has been associated with health behaviors, but its associations with unhealthy eating remain insufficiently understood. This study examined the associations of distinct work-to-family conflict (WFC) and family-to-work conflict (FWC) configurations with obesity-related eating behavior (OREB), whether these associations differed by gender, and the interconnections among individual OREB behaviors. Data were drawn from 4,506 employed adults participating in the Psychology and Behavior Investigation of Chinese Residents survey. Four conflict configurations were defined according to WFC and FWC levels. Associations with OREB were examined using multivariable regression models, including planned and exploratory contrasts and gender-stratified analyses. An exploratory network analysis characterized the associations among individual OREB behaviors. Compared with the low-WFC/low-FWC group, OREB scores were higher in the high-WFC/low-FWC (β = 1.06, 95% CI: 0.65–1.48), low-WFC/high-FWC (β = 1.83, 95% CI: 1.32–2.34), and high-WFC/high-FWC groups (β = 3.26, 95% CI: 2.98–3.54), with the highest scores in the high-WFC/high-FWC group. An exploratory contrast indicated higher OREB scores in the low-WFC/high-FWC group than in the high-WFC/low-FWC group. No significant gender interactions were detected. Network analysis identified dysregulated satiety and preference for oily foods as the behaviors with the highest strength centrality. These findings highlight the value of considering the direction and co-occurrence of work-family conflict when examining its associations with OREB. The network findings provide additional insight into the interconnections among eating behaviors but do not establish intervention targets. Longitudinal research is needed to clarify temporal relationships and examine the generalizability of these findings across occupational and cultural contexts.