Attachment Anxiety and Disordered Eating Among Chinese Young Women: The Mediation of Different Negative Emotions

Disordered eating is increasingly prevalent among young women, yet the psychological mechanisms underlying these behaviors remain insufficiently understood. This cross-sectional study examined the associations between attachment anxiety and three distinct patterns of disordered eating: uncontrolled eating (UE), emotional eating (EE), and cognitive restraint (CR). Additionally, we investigated the mediating roles of three negative emotions (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress) in these relationships. Data were collected from 578 young Chinese women (Mean age = 19.48 years) using self-report scales assessing attachment anxiety, negative emotions, and disordered eating behaviors. Path analysis revealed that attachment anxiety had significant direct positive predictive effects on UE and EE but did not significantly predict CR. Anxiety and stress significantly mediated the relationship between attachment anxiety and both UE and EE, whereas depression did not exhibit a significant mediating effect. Furthermore, the mediating effects of the three negative emotions on the association between attachment anxiety and CR did not reach statistical significance, indicating that the observed patterns are not uniform across different disordered eating behaviors. These findings highlight the differential roles of negative emotions in the association between attachment anxiety and disordered eating behaviors among young women.