Emotional Eating and Restrained Eating with Nutritional Status in Patients at UINSA Surabaya Primary Clinic

Introduction: According to the World Obesity Atlas, overnutrition is a global issue in developed and developing countries, with predictions of obesity rates reaching 54% worldwide by 2035. One of the contributing factors is the psychological aspect of emotional eating, which is the habit of overeating as an outlet for emotions that can trigger overweight and obesity. In addition, restrained eating, a behavior that strictly limits eating, can cause underweight due to unbalanced nutritional intake. Inappropriate eating behavior leads to nutrition and health problems. This study aims to analyze the relationship between emotional eating and restrained eating with nutritional status in UINSA Surabaya Primary Clinic patients. Methods: This research method is quantitative research with a cross-sectional approach. Using the accidental sampling technique, the sample consisted of 92 patients who checked into the UINSA Surabaya Primary Clinic. The research instrument was a questionnaire. Data analysis using the Spearman rank test. Results: The results showed that 57 respondents (61.9%) had moderate emotional eating behavior, and 59 respondents (64.1%) also had moderate restrained eating behavior. The results of the emotional eating correlation test with nutritional status (p-value = 0.001 < 0.05, phi = 0.331) were significant, while those of restrained eating with nutritional status (p-value = 0.934 > 0.05) were not. Conclusions: The conclusion of this study shows that emotional eating is associated with nutritional status, while restrained eating is not. Therefore, education on stress management and healthy eating is essential to prevent nutritional disorders.