The Associations of Sociocultural Pressure, Emotional States, Self-control, and Emotional Eating in Adolescents

Abstract

The present study explored the associations of sociocultural pressure, emotional states (containing both negative affect and positive affect), self-control, and emotional eating in Chinese adolescents. Thousand three hundred forty-seven adolescents in China completed the Perceived Sociocultural Pressure Scale, the Trait Self-Control Scale, the Positive and Negative Affect Scale, and the Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire. Serial mediation analysis was conducted to assess the direct and indirect effects of sociocultural pressure on emotional eating. Results revealed that negative affect and self-control independently mediated the association of sociocultural pressure and emotional eating. Moreover, sociocultural pressure could be linked to emotional eating through the chain mediating effect of “negative affect–self-control” and “positive affect–self-control.” These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the links between these factors and suggest that higher levels of sociocultural pressure may lead to emotional eating through the mediating role of emotional states and self-control.