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Longitudinal associations between adverse childhood experiences, anxiety and depression, resilience, and emotional eating: A moderated mediation model = 兒童不良經歷與情緒性進食間的縱向聯繫：焦慮、抑鬱與韌性的調節中介模型研究
Principal Investigator
Department
Grant Awarding Body
Research Grants Council
Grant Type
Faculty Development Scheme
Project Code
UGC/FDS15/H07/24
Amount Awarded
HK$884,528
Funding Year
2024-2025
Duration of the Project
24 months
Status
Ongoing
Abstract
There is a saying in Cantonese that goes, “turn grief and resentment into appetite,” which expresses the popular notion of using food to make oneself feel better—to fill emotional needs rather than one’s stomach. Emotional eating has been regarded as a potential precursor to eating disorders such as bulimia and binge eating disorders. Adverse childhood experiences, resilience, anxiety and depression symptoms were found to be associated with emotional eating in previous studies including research projects by the principal investigator (PI). However, the past work did not holistically examine proximal and distal risk factors within a single integrated model and thus the mechanism underlying emotional eating is still unclear. Additionally, the transition from the final year of undergraduate study to the first-year post-graduation presents a challenging period involving significant life changes, which may exacerbate the effects of adverse childhood experience on current psychological well-being. Besides, previous studies employed retrospective scales which may have limitations in accurately capturing food intake and the dynamics of emotions and eating behaviors. To address the limitations, the research team will employ mobile device-assisted ecological momentary assessment (mEMA), which allows for real-time data collection of participants’ thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in their natural environment.
To fill in the research gap, the proposed research is (1) To examine short-term longitudinal relationships between adverse childhood experiences, anxiety, depression, resilience, and emotional eating among final year undergraduates during transition from university to one-year after graduation. (2) To examine whether anxiety and depression serve as mediators in the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and emotional eating. (3) To examine if resilience moderates the mediated relationships between adverse childhood experiences, anxiety/depression and emotional eating. (4) To employ an intensive longitudinal study using mEMA to capture momentary experiences of anxiety, depression, resilience, emotional eating, and unhealthy snacking in the context of adverse childhood experiences. (5) To examine how momentary fluctuations in anxiety, depression, and resilience influence emotional eating and unhealthy snacking behavior in the context of adverse childhood experiences.
The proposed study contains a multimethod longitudinal study including a short-term longitudinal study with a quantitative design in study 1 and mEMA in study 2. In study 1, a sample of 500 final year undergraduates will be recruited to participate in a one-year longitudinal questionnaire study. The validated Traditional Chinese version of standardized psychological instruments will be used to assess the general tendency of eating behaviors, negative emotions, and resilience. To capture these variables in the context of daily life, a subset of 70 participants who have at least one ACE will be randomly selected to participate in study 2. The mEMA will be conducted between two time points of Study 1, collecting responses on negative emotional states, emotional eating, snacking, and resilience six times per day over 10 days.
The findings from this proposed project will contribute to understanding the impact of early adverse experiences on well-being and eating behaviors in the later stage of life and will contribute to the development of mental health promotion and intervention efforts to advance the psychological well-being of emerging adults, especially those with early life adversity.
To fill in the research gap, the proposed research is (1) To examine short-term longitudinal relationships between adverse childhood experiences, anxiety, depression, resilience, and emotional eating among final year undergraduates during transition from university to one-year after graduation. (2) To examine whether anxiety and depression serve as mediators in the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and emotional eating. (3) To examine if resilience moderates the mediated relationships between adverse childhood experiences, anxiety/depression and emotional eating. (4) To employ an intensive longitudinal study using mEMA to capture momentary experiences of anxiety, depression, resilience, emotional eating, and unhealthy snacking in the context of adverse childhood experiences. (5) To examine how momentary fluctuations in anxiety, depression, and resilience influence emotional eating and unhealthy snacking behavior in the context of adverse childhood experiences.
The proposed study contains a multimethod longitudinal study including a short-term longitudinal study with a quantitative design in study 1 and mEMA in study 2. In study 1, a sample of 500 final year undergraduates will be recruited to participate in a one-year longitudinal questionnaire study. The validated Traditional Chinese version of standardized psychological instruments will be used to assess the general tendency of eating behaviors, negative emotions, and resilience. To capture these variables in the context of daily life, a subset of 70 participants who have at least one ACE will be randomly selected to participate in study 2. The mEMA will be conducted between two time points of Study 1, collecting responses on negative emotional states, emotional eating, snacking, and resilience six times per day over 10 days.
The findings from this proposed project will contribute to understanding the impact of early adverse experiences on well-being and eating behaviors in the later stage of life and will contribute to the development of mental health promotion and intervention efforts to advance the psychological well-being of emerging adults, especially those with early life adversity.