Early life influences on the development of food addiction in college attending young adults

Abstract

Purpose: There is little investigation into the causes of food addiction. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of early life influences on the development of food addiction in college-attending young adults aged 18–29. Methods: This study utilized a sequential explanatory mixed-methods research design. College-attending young adults were invited to complete an online survey measuring Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), food addiction, depression, anxiety, stress, and demographic information. Correlations between food addiction and the other variables were analyzed and significant variables were placed into a nominal logistic regression model to predict the development of food addiction. Participants who met the criteria for food addiction were invited to participate in interviews to examine their childhood eating environment and when their symptoms emerged. Interviews were transcribed and thematically analyzed. Quantitative analysis was conducted using JMP Pro Version 16.0 and qualitative analysis was conducted using NVIVO Software Version 12.0. Results: Survey respondents (n = 1645) had an overall 21.9% prevalence of food addiction. Significant correlations were observed between food addiction and ACEs, depression, anxiety, stress, and sex (p