Body perceptions, occupations, eating attitudes, and behaviors emerged during the pandemic: An exploratory cluster analysis of eaters profiles

Abstract

IntroductionCOVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted people’s mental and physical health. Three areas have been significantly impacted, among others: eating-related behaviors, occupational balance, and exposure to self-image due to videoconferencing. This study aims to explore and document eaters profiles that were reported during the pandemic in the general Canadian population using a holistic perspective, including body perceptions, attitudes, and eating behaviors (i.e., body image, behaviors, attitudes, and motivations regarding food), and occupations (i.e., physical activity and cooking).MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted from May to September 2020. Two hundred and seventy-three Canada’s residents, French speaking of 18 years of age and older, participated in an online survey on behaviors, attitudes, and motivations regarding food and eating as well as body image and occupations during the COVID-19 pandemic. A hierarchical cluster analysis was used to determine the eaters profiles. One-way ANOVA and Chi-square test were conducted to differentiate occupational characteristics between eaters profiles.ResultsThree distinctive profiles were found during the COVID-19 pandemic and could be placed on a continuum: the Congruent-driven eater is at the functional pole of the continuum, whereas the Incongruent-driven eater is at the dysfunctional pole of the eaters continuum. In the middle of the continuum, the Incongruent-perceptual eater is at a critical crossing point. Significant differences were reported between eaters profiles.DiscussionThe empirical results based on an eaters continuum conceptualization highlight the importance of understanding how people perceive their body to assess and promote food well-being.

Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on perceptual disturbances and dysfunctional eating attitudes and behaviors: A review of the literature

“…These considerations of eating features in the general and clinical population both led some authors to favor the dimensional mental health approach ( Leung et al, 1996 ; Alvarenga et al, 2010 ; Sundgot-Borgen and Torstveit, 2010 ; Turgeon et al, 2015 ; Monthuy-Blanc et al, 2020 ). As presented in Figure 1 , this holistic and dimensional approach proposes a conceptualization based on a continuum of severity ranging from a functional or asymptomatic state corresponding to intuitive eating (associated with food well-being), to dysfunctional or clinical state corresponding to pathological eating (eating disorders outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition; DSM-5), through different, yet not clinical, eating attitudes and behaviors (e.g., emotional eating, restrictive eating, overeating; American Psychiatric Association, 2013 ; Tribole and Resch, 2020 ; Monthuy-Blanc et al, 2022 ).…”

When Eating Intuitively Is Not Always a Positive Response: Using Machine Learning to Better Unravel Eaters Profiles

“…Intuitive eating appears to be a protective factor against dysfunctional eating attitudes and behaviors. It is associated with more positive body image, emotional functioning, increased interoceptive awareness, greater weight stability and food intake regulation [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ].…”

“…Drawing from community and (sub-)clinical samples, studies highlight the potential impact of changes in the way people perceive themselves and interact with others (e.g., the popularity of videoconferencing and the over-use of social networking sites due to social isolation) as well as changes in eating attitudes and behaviors, physical activity, and exercise (Monthuy-Blanc et al [ 59 ]). To the authors’ knowledge, only one study has examined profiles of eaters during the COVID-19 pandemic [ 29 ]. Using a classical linear hierarchical clustering approach, three eaters profiles emerged along a continuum from dysfunctional pathological eating to functional intuitive eating within a sample of adult participants [ 29 ].…”

“…To the authors’ knowledge, only one study has examined profiles of eaters during the COVID-19 pandemic [ 29 ]. Using a classical linear hierarchical clustering approach, three eaters profiles emerged along a continuum from dysfunctional pathological eating to functional intuitive eating within a sample of adult participants [ 29 ]. At the functional pole of the continuum, the congruent-driven eater has a positive relationship with their body and appears to be well-connected to their body’s internal cues.…”

“…Somewhere between the two poles, the incongruent–perceptual eater self-reports difficulty in connecting and listening to their bodily signals without engaging in dysfunctional attitudes and eating behaviors. The findings from Monthuy-Blanc et al [ 29 ] emerged from exploratory statistical analyses using traditional cluster-analyses procedures. However, less traditional, but potentially more powerful analytical tools are gaining in popularity, such as Machine Learning, which may allow us to refine their initial findings.…”