nazli tavakoli

The study investigated the direct and indirect pathways between eating self-efficacy and emotional eating behavior in women with overweight and obesity, evaluating the parallel mediating roles of shame and guilt related to body and weight.

A total of 228 women between the ages of 18 and 70, with overweight and obesity (Body Mass Index≥ 25), were recruited through purposive sampling. Participants completed online questionnaires: Demographic Information Questionnaire (DIQ), Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ), Weight- and Body-Related Shame and Guilt Scale (WEB-SG), Weight Efficacy Lifestyle-Short Form (WEL-SF). Descriptive statistics and parallel mediation analysis (PROCESS model 4) with bootstrapping were used to test the hypothesized model. SPSS version 23 was used to analyze the data.

Higher levels of eating self-efficacy were directly associated with the lower levels of emotional eating behavior (P< 0.001), and indirectly related to reduced emotional eating by decreased weight- and body-related shame and guilt (P< 0.05). Shame and guilt served as partial, parallel mediators. The model explained 39% of the variance in emotional eating behavior (R2= 0.39).

This study underscores the importance of addressing cognitive and emotional factors in interventions to improve eating behaviors and manage obesity in women, providing actionable insights for healthcare professionals and researchers.

This study aimed to investigate the concurrent relationships between weight self-stigma and disordered eating behaviors, mediated by weight- and body-related shame and guilt, fear of negative appearance evaluation, and eating self-efficacy, among women with overweight and obesity.

This study was a cross-sectional study. The sample consisted of 228 Iranian women, aged 18-70 years, with overweight and obesity (BMI≥ 25), who were purposively selected. Participants responded to online demographic questions and research measurement tools (Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire, Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire, Weight- and Body-Related Shame and Guilt Scale, Weight Efficacy Lifestyle-Short Form, Fear of Negative Appearance Evaluation Scale). Statistical methods of descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation matrix, structural equation modeling and bootstrapping mediation analysis were used to analyze the data, through SPSS 23 and AMOS 23.

The results showed that weight self-stigma had significant paths to all research variables in a structural model (P< 0.05). Furthermore, mediation analysis showed that eating self-efficacy mediated the relationships between weight self-stigma and emotional (P< 0.001), external (P< 0.001), and restrained eating behaviors (P< 0.002). Additionally, weight and body-related guilt mediated the relationship between weight self-stigma and restrained eating behavior (P< 0.001). Totally, the research model explained 14.9% of the variance of emotional and external eating behaviors, and 36.2% of the variance of restrained eating behavior.

The findings highlight the importance of considering weight self-stigma in obesity research. Additionally, improving eating self-efficacy and addressing guilt through psychological interventions are crucial for managing eating behaviors in this population.

Obesity is a health concern with complex dimensions. This study aimed to investigate the predictive roles of psychological factors, including weight self-stigma, weight- and body-related shame and guilt, eating self-efficacy, and fear of negative appearance evaluation, on disordered eating behaviors in Iranian women with overweight and obesity.  This descriptive cross-sectional research was carried out in 2020-2021 among 228 Iranian women, aged 18 to 70 years, with overweight and obesity who were selected by purposive sampling method. Data were collected through online standard questionnaires. SPSS-23 was used to analyze the data.  All the predictor variables had significant associations with disordered eating behaviors (P<0.05, P<0.01). In addition, the results of multiple regression analysis showed that eating self-efficacy was a predictor of emotional eating behavior (β = -0.534, P<0.001). Additionally, fear of negative appearance evaluation and eating self-efficacy were predictors of external eating behavior (βf = -0.416, βs-e = -0.416, P< 0.001). Moreover, weight and body related guilt and eating self-efficacy were predictors of restrained eating behavior (βg = 0.442, βs-e = 0.300, P< 0.001).  These findings emphasize the importance of psychological variables in obesity. Specifically, self-efficacy, fear of negative evaluation, and guilt were important constructs in predicting disordered eating behaviors. Thus, in clinical weight loss programs, considering psychological treatments based on strengthening self-efficacy and self-compassion in this group is helpful to improve their healthy eating behaviors.

Addiction to internet as one of the phenomena of the modern era includes cognitive، excitatory and behavioral aspects. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between the attachment styles، fear of negative evaluation and internet addiction in college students. The method of the study was correlational. The population included all the M. A. and Ph. D. students studying at the faculty of human and social sciences، Islamic Azad University، Science and Research Branch، Tehran، Iran in 2013. 161 students were selected as the final sample، who filled the Internet Addiction questionnaire، the Adult Attachment Inventory and the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale. The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and linear regression analysis tests. The findings indicated that avoidant insecure attachment styles (r=0. 264)، anxiety insecure (r=0. 300) and fear of negative evaluation (r=0. 174) were significantly correlated with internet addiction، whereas the secure attachment style was not significantly correlated with internet addiction. In addition، regression analysis results revealed that avoidant insecure attachment styles and anxiety insecure (R2=0. 130) and fear of negative evaluation (R2=0. 030) had significant contribution in predicting the students'' addiction to internet. Therefore، to prevent internet addiction، it is necessary to consider the role of psychological factors such as insecure attachment styles and fear of negative evaluation.