Jenna R Cummings1, Ashley E Mason2, Eli Puterman3, A Janet Tomiyama4. 1. Department of Psychology, University of California, 1285 Franz Hall, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA. 2. UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, 1545 Divisadero Street, 3rd Floor, Suite 301, San Francisco, CA, 94115, USA. 3. School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, 6081 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z1, Canada. 4. Department of Psychology, University of California, 1285 Franz Hall, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA. tomiyama@psych.ucla.edu.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Comfort eating is a prevalent behavior. Prior research shows that comfort eating is associated with reduced stress responses and increased metabolic risk across adolescence, young adulthood, and middle adulthood. The purpose of the current research was to test if comfort eating prospectively predicted all-cause mortality in older adulthood. METHOD: The US Health and Retirement Study is an ongoing, nationally representative, longitudinal study of older adults. The final sample for the present study (N = 1445) included participants randomly selected to report how often they comfort ate. Comfort eating data were collected in 2008 and all-cause mortality data were collected in 2014. Participants also reported how often they consumed high-fat/sugar food as well as their height and weight in 2008. RESULTS: For each 1-unit increase in comfort eating, the expected odds of all-cause mortality (n = 255 deceased) decreased by 14%, OR = 0.86, p = 0.048, 95% CI [0.74, 0.99]. This analysis statistically accounted for other predictors of mortality in the sample including age, biological sex, race, highest educational degree attained, moderate and vigorous exercise, smoking, and cumulative illness. High-fat/sugar intake did not mediate (or diminish) the association but body mass index did. CONCLUSION: Comfort eating-irrespective of consuming high-fat/sugar food-may be associated with reduced mortality in older adults because it may promote greater body mass, and greater body mass is associated with lower risk of mortality in nationally representative samples. Interventionists might consider both beneficial and detrimental aspects of comfort eating across the lifespan.
PURPOSE: Comfort eating is a prevalent behavior. Prior research shows that comfort eating is associated with reduced stress responses and increased metabolic risk across adolescence, young adulthood, and middle adulthood. The purpose of the current research was to test if comfort eating prospectively predicted all-cause mortality in older adulthood. METHOD: The US Health and Retirement Study is an ongoing, nationally representative, longitudinal study of older adults. The final sample for the present study (N = 1445) included participants randomly selected to report how often they comfort ate. Comfort eating data were collected in 2008 and all-cause mortality data were collected in 2014. Participants also reported how often they consumed high-fat/sugar food as well as their height and weight in 2008. RESULTS: For each 1-unit increase in comfort eating, the expected odds of all-cause mortality (n = 255 deceased) decreased by 14%, OR = 0.86, p = 0.048, 95% CI [0.74, 0.99]. This analysis statistically accounted for other predictors of mortality in the sample including age, biological sex, race, highest educational degree attained, moderate and vigorous exercise, smoking, and cumulative illness. High-fat/sugar intake did not mediate (or diminish) the association but body mass index did. CONCLUSION: Comfort eating-irrespective of consuming high-fat/sugar food-may be associated with reduced mortality in older adults because it may promote greater body mass, and greater body mass is associated with lower risk of mortality in nationally representative samples. Interventionists might consider both beneficial and detrimental aspects of comfort eating across the lifespan.
Entities:
Keywords:
Body mass index; High-fat/sugar food; Older adults; Stress
Authors: Elissa Epel; Sherlyn Jimenez; Kelly Brownell; Laura Stroud; Catherine Stoney; Ray Niaura Journal: Ann N Y Acad Sci Date: 2004-12 Impact factor: 5.691
Authors: Rachel M Radin; Elissa S Epel; Jennifer Daubenmier; Patricia Moran; Samantha Schleicher; Jean Kristeller; Frederick M Hecht; Ashley E Mason Journal: Health Psychol Date: 2019-11-14 Impact factor: 4.267