Emotional eating in early Jamaican adolescents: the role of remote acculturation, psychological distress and U.S. media

Clarke, Christy V.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/92816 Copy

Description

Title

Emotional eating in early Jamaican adolescents: the role of remote acculturation, psychological distress and U.S. media

Author(s)

Clarke, Christy V.

Issue Date

2016-07-15

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Ferguson, Gail M.

Committee Member(s)

Wiley, Angela

Department of Study

Human Dvlpmt & Family Studies

Discipline

Human & Community Development

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

M.S.

Degree Level

Thesis

Keyword(s)

• Jamaican adolescents
• Emotional eating
• Psychological distress
• US-produced media
• Remote Acculturation

Abstract

The present study explored emotional eating patterns of youth living in the Caribbean. The aims of this study were to: (1) investigate the correlation between emotional eating and unhealthy eating in Jamaican adolescents (2) evaluate the association between psychological distress (anxiety & depression) and emotional eating as moderated by gender and (3) to determine if remote acculturation mediates the association between consumption of US-produced media and emotional eating. Data were used from the Culture, Health, and Family Life Study, a multidisciplinary exploration of Americanization as a potential risk factor for adolescent obesity in Jamaica. Overall, 330 Jamaican adolescents (210 girls and 120 boys) between the ages of 11 and 18 (M = 13.81, SD = 1.76) completed surveys at three schools in Kingston, Jamaica. Adolescents most commonly reported eating in response to feeling happy (88%), while boredom was the second most common emotion prompting eating (84%). A positive correlation was found between emotional eating and unhealthy eating for girls only. Gender did not moderate the relationship between psychological distress and eating in response to depressive symptoms and no mediation was found. US-produced media consumption on a weekday positively predicted remote acculturation (European American orientation), however, neither US-produced media consumption nor remote acculturation predicted emotional eating.

Graduation Semester

2016-08

Type of Resource

text

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/92816

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2016, Christy V. Clarke

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