Associations between self-reported stress, emotional eating, and overnutrition among adolescents at a private Islamic school in southern Thailand: a cross- sectional study
This cross-sectional study of 145 adolescents at a private Islamic school in southern Thailand found that self-reported stress is positively associated with emotional eating, which in turn is significantly linked to a higher likelihood of overnutrition, although the findings are limited by the study's single-site, cross-sectional design.
Original paper licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This is an AI-generated explanation of the paper below. It is not written or endorsed by the authors. For technical accuracy, refer to the original paper. Read full disclaimer
Adolescence is a time when the body and mind are changing rapidly, often under the weight of new social pressures and academic demands. In this period, many young people develop habits that can last a lifetime, including how they eat when they feel stressed. While hunger is a physical signal that the body needs fuel, there is another kind of eating driven by feelings. This is known as emotional eating, where a person turns to food to soothe irritation, sadness, or anxiety rather than to satisfy a physical need. Scientists have long suspected that this behavior acts as a bridge, connecting the psychological strain of daily life to physical health outcomes like weight gain. In many parts of the world, rising rates of overweight and obesity among teenagers are a growing concern, yet much of what we know comes from Western contexts. Understanding how these forces interact in different cultural settings, such as the schools of southern Thailand, offers a clearer picture of a global health challenge.
Researchers recently set out to explore these connections within a specific community: a private Islamic school in Pattani Province, southern Thailand. They focused on 145 students in grades 10 through 12, a group representing the upper years of high school. The team wanted to see if the stress these students reported feeling was linked to their tendency to eat for comfort, and whether that eating behavior was connected to their nutritional status, specifically whether they were carrying extra weight. To get a clear view, the investigators did not rely on what the students said about their height or weight. Instead, a researcher measured every student's height and weight directly using precise scales and stadiometers. They then compared these measurements against official Thai growth charts to classify each student's nutritional status as undernourished, normal, or overnourished. The students also filled out questionnaires about their stress levels, their emotional eating habits, and their general food choices.
The results revealed a clear pattern. More than half of the students reported experiencing moderate levels of stress, with academic worries being the most common source of pressure. Nearly half of the group admitted to engaging in moderate to high levels of emotional eating. When the researchers looked at the data, they found a direct link: students who reported higher stress levels were also more likely to report eating in response to negative emotions. The most common behaviors included eating to feel better when irritated, using food to comfort oneself when lonely, or eating to reduce worry. These findings held true even after the researchers accounted for the students' gender and grade level, suggesting that the connection between stress and emotional eating is robust within this group.
The study also examined how this emotional eating related to the students' bodies. Among the students who were either at a normal weight or classified as overnourished, those with higher scores for emotional eating were more likely to be in the overnourished category. In simple terms, the more a student relied on food to cope with their feelings, the higher their odds were of having excess weight. Interestingly, the data showed that female students had lower odds of being overnourished compared to their male classmates, regardless of their stress levels. However, the researchers were careful to note that because this study was a snapshot in time, it cannot prove that stress causes emotional eating, or that emotional eating causes weight gain. It simply shows that these three factors move together in this specific group of teenagers.
The team also looked at whether emotional eating led to the consumption of specific types of junk food, such as fast food, crispy snacks, sweets, or sugary drinks. While many students did report eating these items frequently, the statistical link between emotional eating and these specific foods was not strong enough to be considered a definitive finding in this study. This suggests that while emotional eating is a real phenomenon linked to stress and weight, its specific dietary consequences might be more complex or varied than a simple preference for one type of snack. The researchers emphasized that their work is limited by the fact that it took place in only one school and involved a relatively small number of students, particularly those who were overnourished. They also noted that the tools they used to measure stress and eating were adapted from other studies and had not been fully tested in this specific population.
Ultimately, this research adds a valuable piece to the puzzle of adolescent health in Southeast Asia. It confirms that in this private Islamic school, the emotional struggles of teenagers are not isolated from their physical well-being. The study suggests that the pressure of school life may be driving some students to use food as a coping mechanism, which in turn is associated with higher rates of overnutrition. While the findings are not a final answer, they point to a need for schools to consider mental health and nutrition as connected issues. Future research will need to follow students over time to see if these patterns hold up and to understand how different cultural or religious factors might influence these relationships. For now, the study offers a quiet but important reminder that for many teenagers, the food on their plate is often a reflection of what is happening in their minds.
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