Does perceived support moderate the link between acculturative stress and problematic eating behaviors? The role of family, significant other, and friend support
Corresponding Author
Peiyi Wang M.A.
Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, California, 92617 USA
Correspondence
Peiyi Wang, Department of Psychological Science, 4201 Social and Behavioral Sciences Gateway, Irvine, CA, 92697-7085, USA.
Email: [email protected]
Contribution: Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Writing - original draft
Search for more papers by this authorEsmeralda R. Garcia Ph.D.
Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, California, 92617 USA
Contribution: Investigation, Validation, Writing - review & editing
Search for more papers by this authorChuansheng Chen Ph.D.
Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, California, 92617 USA
Contribution: Supervision, Writing - review & editing
Search for more papers by this authorIlona S. Yim Ph.D.
Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, California, 92617 USA
Contribution: Supervision, Validation, Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Peiyi Wang M.A.
Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, California, 92617 USA
Correspondence
Peiyi Wang, Department of Psychological Science, 4201 Social and Behavioral Sciences Gateway, Irvine, CA, 92697-7085, USA.
Email: [email protected]
Contribution: Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Writing - original draft
Search for more papers by this authorEsmeralda R. Garcia Ph.D.
Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, California, 92617 USA
Contribution: Investigation, Validation, Writing - review & editing
Search for more papers by this authorChuansheng Chen Ph.D.
Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, California, 92617 USA
Contribution: Supervision, Writing - review & editing
Search for more papers by this authorIlona S. Yim Ph.D.
Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, California, 92617 USA
Contribution: Supervision, Validation, Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Objective
Acculturative stress, often experienced by members of minority groups, is related to problematic eating behaviors. What remains poorly understood is the function of perceived social support in this link. This study evaluated the moderating role of perceived support from family, the significant other, and friends in the association between acculturative stress and problematic eating behaviors, including emotional eating, uncontrolled eating, and cognitive restraint eating.
Method
An online cross-sectional study was conducted with 497 Asian and Latinx college students using standardized questionnaires. Three hierarchical multivariable models were analyzed, with each eating behavior included as the outcome variable. Demographic variables (Step 1), general perceived stress (Step 2), and predictor variables (i.e., acculturative stress, perceived support; Step 3) were added using Method Enter. Interaction terms were entered using Method Stepwise (Step 4) to test for moderation effects.
Results
As perceived family support increased, the magnitude of the link between acculturative stress and higher uncontrolled eating increased (p = .002). When perceived significant other support was higher, the magnitude of the relationship between acculturative stress and higher emotional eating increased (p = .02). Higher perceived friend support was directly related to reduced uncontrolled eating (p = .002).
Discussion
This study highlights the heterogeneous effects of various sources of perceived support on the link between acculturative stress and problematic eating behaviors. Findings imply that problematic eating prevention and intervention programs might benefit from considering not only the acculturative stress experienced by racial/ethnic minority young adults but also the sources of support perceived.
Public Significance
Perceived support from family and the significant other increased the magnitude of the link between higher acculturative stress and increased problematic eating behaviors, whereas support from friends showed a direct relationship with reduced uncontrolled eating. The results highlight the nuanced functions of various sources of perceived social support and contribute to a deeper understanding of potential moderators in the relationship between acculturative stress and problematic eating behaviors among racial/ethnic minorities.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Open Research
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Supporting Information
| Filename | Description |
|---|---|
| eat23941-sup-0001-Supinfo.docxWord 2007 document , 13.6 KB | DATA S1. Supporting Information |
Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.
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