Associations Between Psychological Distress, Emotional Eating, and Nutritional Status in Adolescents

Background: Adolescent overweight and obesity constitute public-health challenges underpinned by maladaptive eating behaviors. Emotional eating, conceptualized as a compensatory response to negative affect, is shaped by psychological distress, including depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms (DAS) within school contexts. These dynamics may destabilize nutritional homeostasis and precipitate adverse nutritional status. This study elucidates the interrelationships among depression, anxiety, stress, emotional eating, and nutritional status in highschool students in SMA Muhammadiyah 02 Medan. Method: This cross-sectional study investigated the interplay between psychological distress (DAS), EE, and nutritional status. Data were gathered using the DEBQ and DASS-Y questionnaires, complemented by anthropometric measurements. Statistical modeling was executed via SPSS, utilizing Chi-square tests for bivariate associations, alongside binary and multinomial logistic regression to delineate the multi-variable correlations. Results: Among 210 students, 41.9% exhibited moderate emotional eating and 21.9% obesity. Depression, anxiety, and stress were associated with emotional eating and nutritional status. Regression identified predictors of emotional eating, depression (OR=2.097; P=0.008), anxiety (OR=2.067; P=0.010), stress (OR=2.011; P=0.010) while anxiety predicted undernutrition (OR=4.661; P=0.007) and overweight/obesity with stress (OR=2.256; P=0.043; OR=2.345; P=0.028). Discussion: Psychological distress significantly correlates with emotional eating and nutritional imbalances, necessitating integrated school-based mental health and nutritional strategies to mitigate adolescent obesity and overweight. Conclusion: The study highlights a high prevalence of EE and overnutrition among highschool students, with a significant relationship between psychological distress (DAS).