Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38618183›Full record

ArticleHuman nutrition & metabolism2023

Associations between comfort eating and weight change during the COVID-19 pandemic among U.S. adults.

David J Ederer, Seung Hee Lee, Brook Belay, Kerri Boutelle, Sohyun Park

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Human nutrition & metabolism, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.6field-weighted citation impact, top 17% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

David J EdererDivision of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, NE, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA.
Seung Hee LeeDivision of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, NE, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA.
Brook BelayDivision of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, NE, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA.
Kerri BoutelleUniversity of California San Diego, Department of Pediatrics, San Diego, CA, USA.
Sohyun ParkDivision of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, NE, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · USUniversity of California San Diego · US

Funding

Intramural CDC HHS CC999999
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective: To examine associations between comfort eating in response to loneliness or stress and weight change during the COVID-19 pandemic among U.S. adults. Design: Quantitative, cross-sectional study. Setting: The 2021 Subjects: U.S. adults (≥18 years; N = 4068). Measures: The outcome was reported weight changes since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic with four responses: lost weight, weight remained the same, gained weight, and don't know. The exposure variable was frequency of comfort eating in response to loneliness or stress during the past year with three responses: never/ rarely, sometimes, or often/always. Analysis: We used chi-square analysis to examine the independence of survey variables related to weight changes, and comfort eating in response to loneliness or stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Next, we used a multinomial logistic regression to estimate adjusted odds ratios for weight changes by comfort eating in response to loneliness or stress frequency. Results: Overall, 20.1% of adults reported losing weight, 39.9% remained about the same weight, 30.4% gained weight, and 9.4% did not know about their weight change during the COVID-19 pandemic. Taking comfort by eating in response to loneliness or stress was reported by over 33% of participants (often/always = 8.3%; sometimes = 25.3%). Weight change and comfort eating during the COVID-19 pandemic significantly varied by sociodemographic factors. Respondents that sometimes or often/always reported taking comfort by eating in response to loneliness or stress were more likely to report losing weight (Adjusted Odds Ratio ranges: 1.62-2.99) or gaining weight (Adjusted Odds Ratio ranges: 3.10-4.61) than those who never/rarely took comfort by eating in response to loneliness or stress. Conclusions: Taking comfort by eating when stressed/lonely was significantly associated with reported weight changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Weight changes may lead to additional health complications. Implementing evidence-based strategies to reduce loneliness or stress and support healthy eating during the COVID-19 pandemic may benefit weight management and future well-being.

Indexed as

NutritionPopulation healthSocial supportStress managementWeight control

Identifiers

PMID38618183
PMCPMC11010443
OpenAlexW4385188403

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.