The relationship between contextual factors of psychological distress with emotional eating and body weight in Hmong and Hmong American college populations
Author(s):
Yang, Julie
Format:
Thesis
Degree granted:
Psy.D.
Publisher:
Ann Arbor : Alliant International University, Fresno, 2007.
Pages:
168
Language:
English
Abstract:
This study examined the relationship between contextual factors of psychological distress with emotional eating and body weight in the Hmong and Hmong American college population. Hmong participants (N = 137) between the ages of 18 and 25 years old from various college campuses through California completed a battery of questionnaires that assessed for demographic information, acculturation, acculturative stress, ethnic identity, family environment, and emotional eating. The analysis supported several of the predicted hypotheses. Acculturative stress significantly predicted emotional eating, and family environment improved this prediction, F(3, 132) = 9.73, p < .01. Emotional eating was found to be significantly related to body weight, r = .19 (N = 136, p < .05). Contrary to prediction, ethnic identity was unrelated to acculturation and acculturative stress and did not have a significant impact on emotional eating. Acculturation was found to have no significant relationship with emotional eating. Acculturation, acculturative stress, ethnic identity, and family environment did not have a significant impact on body weight. This study found that acculturation level may not necessarily reflect changes in ethnic identity. Results indicate the importance of understanding family functioning and intergenerational and intercultural conflicts as they relate to emotional eating. Acculturating individuals experiencing less stress who are part of a more cohesive and flexible family were less likely to engage in emotional eating. Also, body weight may be directly affected by emotional eating and indirectly affected by acculturative stress and family environment. This study is a significant beginning in identifying contextual factors of psychological distress that will aid in understanding the etiology of emotional eating for Hmong and Hmong American college populations.