Psychology Commons^™

Emotional Eating, Nutritional Knowledge, And Socioeconomic Status As Predictors Of Body Mass Index, Tifani Buss

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity is an ill-health condition that can lead to other ill-health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, asthma, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer. Obesity is also a condition that does not discriminate regarding age, gender, or race/ethnicity. In light of obesity’s status as a global epidemic, efforts for prevention and intervention treatments are needed to improve individuals’ health and quality of life. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine emotional eating, nutritional knowledge, and socioeconomic status, as predictors of body mass index (BMI). These factors were examined through the lens of general strain …

Relationship Between Objective Measures Of Stress And Child Health Behaviors: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Margaret Harrigan Clark

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

INTRODUCTION: Childhood obesity is a risk factor for long term heath consequences such as diabetes, asthma, high cholesterol, and heart disease. However, causes for pediatric obesity are complex and include many variables such as calorie-dense diets, sedentary behavior, and short sleep duration. In addition to these variables, variances in homeostasis, can also impact obesity risk in pediatric populations. One of these variances of interest in the obesity and health literature is stress response. Relationships among these variables are not fully understood. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to systematically review the literature exploring predictive relationships between objective measures of …

African American Women’S Perceptions Of African American Men’S Preferences Of Female Body Size, Misty Withers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity is a chronic disease that is caused by unbalanced nutrition, sedentary lifestyles, and genetics. This research focused on the problem African American (AA) women face, which leads to a risk for diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and various cancers. The inconsistency in the literature regarding additional factors related to obesity among AA women prompted this research. The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain a greater understanding of AA women’s perceptions of AA men preferences about female body sizes. The prototype willingness model was selected as the theoretical framework for this study to examine AA women’s discussions about their …

A Qualitative Examination Of Satisfaction And Support In Weight-Loss Surgery Patients, Simone Sims-Reiley

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The present study investigated bariatric surgery patients’ perspectives about the factors associated with relationship success after surgery. Additionally, this study sought to recommend useful strategies to prepare partners for the postoperative changes that are required of bariatric patients. Female participants (N = 10) were chosen using voluntary response sampling to participate in semi-structured interviews before completing the Marital Adjustment Test to identify their level of relationship adjustment postoperatively. Participants reported changes to their relationship dynamic related to food choices, activities, varying levels of support from their significant others, and factors that impacted their relationship satisfaction throughout their bariatric surgery …

Masculinity And Men’S Health Attitudes Toward Consideration Of Weight-Loss Surgery, Karaline Fusco

Theses and Dissertations

The rise in obesity across the United States has led to greater educational outreach, considerable research, and medical interventions aimed at decreasing the rate of obesity-related health diseases. But are these interventions reaching everyone? Despite men and women having equivalent rates of obesity, only 20% of weight-loss surgery patients are men. While men have an average life expectancy that is 5 years less than women and are twice as likely than women to have heart disease, men also underutilize healthcare services. Given these factors, this research explored men’s health beliefs, conformity to male norms, and receptivity to weight-loss surgery. This …

The Importance Of Quality Of Life In Weight Loss Programs, Brooke Taylor

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The obesity epidemic has plagued the United States for over 50 years, but there is still much education and research that needs to be done to understand weight loss, specifically the relationship between weight loss and quality of life. This paper considers this relationship from three angles: first, by considering the different types of weight loss treatment, including traditional behavioral weight loss, surgery, acceptance-based programs, and internet weight-loss interventions; second, by considering the impact of weight loss on quality of life through the lens of specific demographics, specifically female, child, and elderly populations; and finally, by considering the impact of …

The Biopsychosocial Impact Of Racial Discrimination Among African Americans, Amy Renae Amin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between racial discrimination and anger, stress, and obesity. The stress-disease model provided a theoretical perspective of the biological, psychological, and social pathways from stress. Past research regarding the correlation between racial discrimination, anger, stress, and obesity reported a possible connection, but results have been mixed. This research expanded upon existing literature that proposed that blatant or subtle experiences of racial discrimination are pathways to mental and physical health consequences. The hypothesis was that there was a significant relationship between racial discrimination and the levels of stress, anger, and obesity. Racial …

Decreasing Physical Inactivity Among Adolescents, Anthony W. Ware

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAdolescents in the United States have become complacent about being involved in an adequate amount of physical activity and consuming a healthy diet. This has led to adolescents having health issues such as overweight status and obesity. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made recommendations for adolescents to maintain an adequate level of physical activity and to consume a healthy diet. In this study I hypothesized that students who were surveyed in the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey who practiced both physical activity and healthy diet recommendations together would have a lower …

Stories Of Adults Experiencing Overweight Or Obesity With Histories Of Childhood Adversities, Megan Propps

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

More than half the population in and outside of the United States experience childhood adversity, which is associated with the risk of developing obesity and overweight problems across the life span. In the United States, overweight affects 73.6% of adults, obesity affects 42.5% of adults, and both are considered a major public health concern. With this qualitative study, 18 adults with early life adversities were explored as to how experience weight loss treatment within their primary care. This narrative inquiry was designed to answer the research questions intended to explore physical health, mental health, and socio-environmental aspects of their stories, …

Body Satisfaction And Self-Efficacy As A Predictor For Obesity Among African American College Women, Sacha Nicole Morris-Dorsey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American women have the highest rates of obesity when compared to any ethnic group in the United States, and the rates of obesity among this population are expected to continue to increase. In this study, social cognitive theory was used to predict the connection between body satisfaction, self-efficacy, and obesity in 18–24-year-old African American women attending college. The data were analyzed using multiple regression, while controlling for demographic variables, to determine if body satisfaction (Body-Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults) and self-efficacy (The Eating Self-Efficacy Scale) predicted obesity among African American women in college. Thirty-three participants completed the survey. …

Predicting Reinforcers To Increase Physical Activity In Young Children With Obesity Using The Six-Minute Walk Test, Jordan D. Lill

Theses & Dissertations

Childhood obesity continues to be a significant public health problem in the United States in which approximately 8% to 12% of American children are obese (Cunningham, Kramer, & Narayan, 2014; Mirza et al., 2018; Ogden et al., 2014). Further, 42% of American children are engaging in less than the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity (Troiano et al., 2008). Several treatments have been evaluated that have included goal-setting, self-monitoring, performance feedback, and access to arbitrary tangible rewards (e.g., Hyusti, Normand, & Larson, 2011; Van Camp & Hayes, 2012), but these treatments have often failed Luttikhuis et al., 2009; Nooijan …

The Impact Of Mindfulness On Healthy Food Choices, Kaylea Hopfer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The practice of mindfulness has a long history in research, particularly psychological studies. In this paper I examine the effects of a short mindfulness intervention on healthy food purchases. Specifically, I developed an online survey and recruited 634 participants via Prolific between July 24 - July 27, 2020. I randomly assigned participants to either a mindfulness manipulation or a control condition. Following treatment (or control) participants completed a food choice task and various other control. Following the survey, I analyzed data using R version 4.0.2 (2020-06-22) and R-Studio. I estimated three different regression models, ordinary least squares (OLS), Poisson, and …

Examining The Interplay Of Mental Health, Family Conflict, And Body Mass Index Among Mexican Origin Families: A Cross-Lagged Model, Laura Margaret Lehman Distel

Dissertations

Mexican-origin youth in the U.S. are at risk for obesity (Fryar et al., 2018) and mental health concerns (McLaughlin, Hilt, & Nolen-Hoeksema, 2007). One key psychosocial process implicated in this health inequity is family conflict (Conger et al., 1999), which has been associated with both poor mental health outcomes (e.g. Santiago & Wadsworth, 2009) and overweight and obesity (Halliday et al., 2013). However, no research to date has examined the complex interplay of family conflict, mental health problems and body mass indices (BMI) over time. The present study examined cross-lagged associations among child z-scored BMI (zBMI), mental health problems (internalizing …

Mindfulness Of What? Impact Of Awareness- And Acceptance-Focused Mindful Eating Techniques On Eating Outcomes, Jennifer Battles

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Introduction: Significant debate exists over the conceptualization of mindfulness even though mindfulness-based interventions are widely utilized to treat obesity and problematic eating behaviors. Little research has directly compared these theorized components of mindfulness in the context of eating. The purpose of the current study was to understand the relative importance of two components of mindfulness (i.e., awareness and acceptance) on laboratory eating outcomes. Methods: An experiment was conducted with 103 obese participants (M_age = 22.38, SD = 6.82; 64.1% female, 44.6% White, M_BMI = 35.42, SD = 7.68) comparing two mindful eating inductions (i.e., awareness only and …

The Lived Experience Of Black Women With Weight Loss And Counseling Post Bariatric Surgery, Cynthia Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractStudies have shown that bariatric surgery can assist obese individuals to both lose a significant amount of weight rapidly and improve or resolve health comorbidities associated with obesity. This weight loss, however, can be considerably less for the obese Black woman. While reasons for this difference appears multifactorial entailing dietary, genetics, and environmental factors, limited research concerning the lived experiences of obese or formerly obese Black women with weight loss and post bariatric counseling have been conducted. The primary objective of this interpretative phenomenological study was to increase the understanding of the lived experiences of obese or formerly obese Black …

Relationship Between Social Media Screen Time, Sedentariness, And Bmi Among Young Adults, Helen Golod

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity has quickly become an epidemic that affects adults and youth not only in the United States, but also increasingly elsewhere in the global community. Research suggests that most children and adolescents spend a significant amount of time indulging in screen-based leisure, especially on social media. Such behavior may also be linked to sedentary lifestyle, which can impact an individual’s body mass index (BMI). There is a lack of understanding concerning how sedentary behavior moderates the relationship between screen time spent on different types of social media and BMI among young adults in the United States. To address this research …

Obesity-Related Health Behaviors And Stress Among Sexual Minority Women, Kristen Andrea Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adult obesity rates have continued to rise with 40% of the adult population in the United States currently being categorized as obese. Sexual minority women are more prone to obesity than heterosexual women. Obesity has been linked to several causes of premature and preventable death and has often been attributed to changeable health behaviors such as physical activity, diet, and sleep. Additionally, stress has been shown to impact health behaviors as well as rates of obesity. Sexual minority women are known to experience more stress due to their minority status, a concept described in minority stress theory which states that …

Feasibility Of Acceptance-Based Health Coaching Targeting Food Cravings In Pregnancy, Lauren Blau

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Excess gestational weight gain (GWG) is the leading high-risk condition in pregnancy in the United States and associated with a variety of poor delivery and health outcomes for the mother and infant. The majority of interventions addressing diet and physical activity in pregnancy have at best small effects on weight gain and pregnancy health outcomes. Past studies on weight loss in non-pregnant samples have demonstrated the utility of addressing psychological factors to modify eating behaviors. Currently, there is a lack of research to evaluate the efficacy of targeting psychological factors to improve cognitive and affective coping skills when attempting to …

A Multifactorial Intervention To Reduce Weight Bias In Healthcare Providers, Rose M. Flinchum

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

No abstract provided.

Toward A Biopsychosocial Model Of Obesiy: Can Psychological Well-Being Be The Bridge To Integration?, Alexia Holovatyk

Theses and Dissertations

The complications associated with obesity are some of the most pressing health concerns facing the United States. At present, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and certain types of cancer are some of the leading causes of death, and researchers have cited obesity as one related factor (NIH, 2000). The topic of obesity has typically been approached through two seemingly contradictory lenses: The biomedical model that views obesity as a disease risk factor (e.g. Huxley, Mendis, Zheleznyakov, Reddy, & Chan, 2010) and the psychosocial model that considers the stigma associated with obesity to be more harmful than weight itself (e.g., Hatzenbuehler, Keyes, & …

Does Overweight/Obesity Moderate The Association Between Adhd And Internalizing Difficulties In Young Adults?, Breanna Badripersaud

Dissertations and Theses

This study’s objective was to investigate if ADHD symptoms and BMI are associated with internalizing impairments of depression, anxiety, stress and lower self-esteem in college students. It was predicted that higher ADHD symptoms would be associated with elevated depression, anxiety, stress, and low self-esteem, especially if BMI fell in the overweight/obese range. Undergraduate students [N= 580; Mean (SD) age= 20.7 (3.10)] from an urban campus completed an online survey comprising self-report measures of demographics, height/weight, attention and hyperactivity/impulsivity (Barkley Deficits Executive Functioning Scale ADHD- Executive Function Index), depression, anxiety, stress (all using the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale) and self- …

Examining Sucrose Subjective Response Among Individuals With Opioid Use Disorder, Taylor Anne Ochalek

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Aims: Opioid use disorder (OUD) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, and opioid agonist treatment (OAT) with methadone or buprenorphine represents the most efficacious treatment. However, data suggest that chronic administration of opioids may be associated with significant weight gain, possibly by altering an organism’s perception of and preference for sweet foods. The primary aim of this laboratory study was to rigorously examine sucrose subjective response among adults receiving OAT and a comparison sample without OUD. As secondary outcomes, we also sought to compare the groups on additional baseline characteristics that may influence subjective sucrose response and weight gain …

Culturally-Relevant Factors That Influence Healthy Eating Among African American College Students, Danyel Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is a national epidemic in the US, disproportionately affecting African Americans, such that the obesity prevalence in African Americans (49.6%) surpassed the national prevalence (42.4%) in 2018. Those same disparities exist at the collegiate level, such that 27.4% of a sample of African Americans college students had obesity, surpassing the national prevalence of obesity (12.1%) in 2018. Diet, an important driver of obesity, is influenced by several psychological, social, and environmental factors. However, cultural factors influencing diet are understudied among African American college students. The overarching goal of the current study was to identify culturally-relevant factors that promote healthy …

Motivational And Physiological Dysregulation Due To Development And Onset Of Obesity Via Melanocortin 4 Receptor +/- Haploinsufficiency, Alex Steiner

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is one of the leading most health risks around the world, being especially problematic in the United States. A combination of high-fat diets and genetic abnormalities are to blame for the ever-growing number of obese individuals.

Melanocortin 4 receptors are vital for regulating energy expenditure and feeding behaviors; mutations of the receptors have been found to be the leading monogenetic cause of obesity. Using MC4R +/- haploinsufficient rats being fed a range of dietary fat, we investigated the physiological and motivational differences using a locomotor task, an operant task with fixed and progressive ratios, as well as a distraction …

The Impact Of Diet And Psychosocial Factors Post Bariatric Surgery, Eva Rani Panigrahi

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Bariatric surgery is a medical procedure that has been found to be an effective option for weight loss. Despite the benefits of bariatric surgery, little is known about the psychosocial factors that may impact weight outcome. The present study attempted to examine patients’ level of perceived stress, depressed mood, and diet, and the association of these factors with percent weight loss in the first 6-months after surgery. Eighty patients completed pre- and 6-months post-operative depressed mood assessment (Patient Quality Health Questionnaire – 7 [PHQ-7]), a perceived stress measure (Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale – 10 [PSS-10]), and dietary measures (Block Dietary …

The Impact Of Sleep Restriction On Food-Related Inhibitory Control And Food Reward In Adolescents: Physical Activity And Weight Status As Potential Moderators, Kara Mcrae Duraccio

Theses and Dissertations

The present study aimed to evaluate associations between sleep duration and food-related inhibitory control and food reward in adolescents aged 12-18. Potential moderating effects of physical activity and weight status on the association between sleep, inhibitory control, and food reward were also examined. To evaluate these associations, the study employed a two-phase crossover design in which participants spent either 5 hours per night (restricted sleep) or 9 hours per night (habitual sleep) in bed for 5 nights. Participants completed a food-related inhibitory control task and a questionnaire assessing for food reward on the 6th day of each study phase. Repeated …

Associations Among Parenting Style And Parental Feeding Practices On Adolescent Self-Efficacy For Diet And Obesity In African American Adolescents, Haylee Loncar

Theses and Dissertations

Previous literature has demonstrated relationships between parenting factors and child health. However, few studies have investigated such associations in African American and adolescent samples. The proposed study aimed to investigate the relationships between parenting factors (parenting style and parental feeding practices), and adolescent self-efficacy for diet, and adolescent body mass index (BMI) in African American families. Baseline data were collected from 241 African American parent- adolescent dyads enrolled in the Families Improving Together (FIT) for Weight Loss trial. Adolescents self-reported their perceptions of their caregiver’s parenting style and feeding practices, as well as perceptions of their own self-efficacy for diet. …

The Association Between Body Esteem And Post-Operative Outcomes In Adult Weight-Loss Surgery Patients, Jennifer Rohr Swetkowski

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Bariatric surgery (weight-loss surgery) remains the most effective long-term treatment for obesity, resulting in improved obesity-related comorbidities and increased life expectancy. There remains, however, a limited understanding of predictors and patientlevel factors associated with insufficient weight loss and psychological dysfunction. Body esteem, or feelings of self-worth about one’s body and appearance, is a significant concern for individuals undergoing weight-loss surgery, although the relationship between body esteem and weight loss is complex. Indeed, there is a subset of patients who experience suboptimal weight loss and poor psychological outcomes after undergoing bariatric surgery. This retrospective, longitudinal study examined the relationship between pre-operative …

Exploring Obesity, Adhd Severity, And Disordered Eating Behavior Among College Students, Carolina Rozario

Dissertations and Theses

Obesity is a global epidemic because of the potential health risks. There is evidence that many obese individuals manifest persistent ADHD symptoms, and that both disorders increase risk for binge eating. Nevertheless, how obesity and ADHD may increase risk for binge eating work is unclear. Neuropsychological deficits are common to all disorders and may help to explain the relations observed. The aim of this study was to explore whether neuropsychological dysfunction, especially inhibitory control weaknesses, moderate the association between greater BMI and more severe ADHD and disordered eating behaviors. Thirty-nine undergraduate college students (27 females; Mean age = 20.77, SD …

Depression Screening For Bariatric Surgical Patients, Cova Teresa Stidham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity in the United States has increased to epidemic numbers over the last decade. Practitioners need to reverse the trend. To address the problem of depression in obesity, a practice guideline from a bariatric clinic for under-served populations was proposed to an expert panel. The Spell Out on First Use (PHQ-9) screening is a valid and reliable self-screening tool to assist the practitioner in determining the level of depression if any. The PHQ-9 has nine questions. No formal screening existed at the bariatric clinic, and the practice guideline (with algorithm and revised workflow) was proposed for use at the clinic. …