The causal associations between interoception, self-regulation, non-purposeful eating behaviors, and weight status in college women: a longitudinal cross-lagged model analysis

Abstract

Aims

Excessive weight gain has led to increased obesity and mortality risk among college students. Issues with maintaining a healthy weight may be attributed to poor internal awareness and unhealthy eating behaviors. The study’s purpose was to determine the longitudinal effects among interoception, self-regulation, nonpurposeful eating behaviors, and weight status (BMI) among college women.

Methods

Data from 103 females were collected via Qualtrics over 3 timepoints (T1, T2, T3) during an academic semester. Repeated measures ANOVA and cross-lagged model analyses were used. Significant changes were found in interoceptive responsiveness, external, and uncontrolled eating throughout 3 timepoints.

Results

Longitudinally, significant causal effects were found among the study measures. Among all models, higher interoceptive responsiveness (T1) predicted increased self-regulation (T2). Higher non-purposeful eating behaviors (T1) predicted reduced self-regulation (T2). Higher BMI (T1) predicted reduced non-purposeful eating behaviors (T2), however higher BMI (T2) predicted increased non-purposeful eating (T3) and reduced interoceptive responsiveness (T3). Significant causal effects were found within each non-purposeful eating behavior models.

Conclusion

Overall, the research study provided foundational evidence of the importance of self-regulatory skills to help prevent unhealthy eating behaviors and increased weight status in college women. Future interventions educating college women to become more internally aware and better self-regulate are needed.

Keywords:

• Interoception
• self-regulation
• emotional eating
• external eating
• uncontrolled eating
• weight status

Acknowledgements

The authors have no acknowledgements.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data sharing statement

Due to the sensitive information collected from participants, the data from this study will remain confidential and unshared, as promised to our participants.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.