Investigation of the relationship between emotional eating behavior, self-esteem and social appearance anxiety in university students

It is aimed to examine the relationship between emotional eating behaviour, self-respect and social appearance anxiety among university students. Studies have also shown that emotional eating behaviour and social appearance anxiety develop quite comorbidly, and it has been put forward that self-respect is also in relation with these variables. Moreover, it has been specified that these variables are risk factors for the individuals who are in late adolescence and early adulthood period. Consequently, examining how this relation works is significant for late adolescents and early adults today. Students studying at the university constitutes will constitute the universe of the research. The data will be obtained from the sample of 255 students studying at İstanbul Gelişim University. Data analysis has been carried out with SPSS program. Pearson correlation analysis has been carried out in order to examine the relationship between the subscale scores of the emotional eating scale and the scores of the self-respect and social appearance anxiety scale. Independent groups t-test and Kruskal Wallis H test have been used to compare subscale scores of emotional eating scale, self-respect and social appearance anxiety scores in accordance with the demographic variables. The pairwise comparison test has been used to identify the difference between the groups following the Kruskal Wallis test.In the consequence of the research, a weak negative correlation has been found out between the 'tension times eating' and 'dealing with negative emotions' subscales of the emotional eating scale and self-respect. Any significant relationship has not been found out between the 'self-control' and 'control over stimulus' subscales of the emotional eating scale and self-respect.A weak positive correlation has been found between the emotional eating scale's 'tension times eating', 'coping with negative emotions', 'self-control' and 'control over stimulus' subscales and social appearance anxiety.A negative, comparatively important relationship has been found between self-respect scale scores and the scale scores of the social appearance anxiety.Emotional eating behaviour has been identified to be associated with self-respect and social appearance anxiety. However, it has been observed that any researches carried over up to now hasn't examined these three factors at the same time. Moreover, it has been observed that studies with these variables for university students are limited. Especially due to the negative conditions of the pandemic process we are in, the planned universe and sample of the research could not be reached, and this created a limitation for the research. That's why it has been deduced that it has vital significance to examine the effects of emotions on eating behaviour in university students and to make appropriate suggestions and take essential precautions for social appearance anxiety and low self-respect.