Examining the relationship between eating behavior, quality of life and mental health in obese women

This study was conducted with 209 obese adult women to examine their eating behaviors, quality of life, and mental health status. The data were collected by the researcher through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire, and anthropometric measurements were taken by the researcher. Eating behaviors were assessed using the Short Form of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-R18), mental health components were evaluated using the Turkish Short Form of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21), and quality of life was measured using the Obesity-Specific Quality of Life Scale (OSQOL). The mean age of the participants was 39.65±11.44 years, and their mean body mass index (BMI) was 33.89±3.92 kg/m². Of the women, 67.9% were classified as having class I obesity. According to the cardiovascular risk classification based on waist circumference, 94.3% were at high risk. In terms of waist-to-height ratio, 64.1% were in the high-risk group, and according to the waist-to-hip ratio, 51.2% were found to be in the risky group. Significant differences were observed in uncontrolled eating, emotional eating, and hunger sensitivity scores across age groups (p<0.05). A statistically significant relationship was found between emotional eating and cognitive restraint levels and the participants' educational status (p<0.05). Cognitive restraint behavior was significantly associated with sleep patterns, waist-to-height ratio, and waist-to-hip ratio (p<0.05). The participants' mean OSQOL score was 46.83±24.06, and a statistically significant difference was found between BMI classification and quality of life scores (p<0.05). A positive and statistically significant correlation was observed between BMI and mental health problems among the participants (p<0.05). As the levels of uncontrolled and emotional eating increased, the scores of mental health components also increased (p<0.05). A negative and significant correlation was found between depression, anxiety, and stress scores and quality of life (p<0.05). In conclusion, a significant relationship was found between eating behaviors, quality of life, and mental health status in obese women. Comprehensive studies are needed to better understand the relationships among obesity, eating behaviors, and mental health.