Sex-Specific Correlates of Emotional Eating Among Arab Migrants.

Abstract

Acculturative stress, arising from cultural and psychological changes following intercultural contact, may increase vulnerability to maladaptive coping behaviors, including emotional eating. Evidence suggests that the association between acculturative stress and disordered eating differs by sex; however, Arab migrant populations remain underrepresented in this field. This study aimed to examine sex-stratified, migration-related predictors of emotional eating among Arab migrants living in Türkiye. This cross-sectional research was conducted between June 2022 and March 2024 and included 528 adults who migrated to Türkiye from Arab countries. Sociodemographic and migration-related characteristics were collected. Acculturative stress was assessed using the Acculturative Stress-Social, Attitudinal, Familial, and Environmental-Revised Short Form (SAFE-Short), and emotional eating was evaluated with Emotional Eating Scale (EES). Body mass index (BMI) was calculated from self-reported weight and height. Sex-stratified regression analyses were performed. BMI was positively associated with all EES subscales in both female and male participants. However, among male participants, the overall regression models for the Anger and Anxiety subdimensions were not statistically significant. Also, no sociodemographic or migration-related variables were associated with emotional eating among male participants. In females, higher age was associated with lower depression-related emotional eating, while single marital status was associated with higher anger-related emotional eating. Employment was associated with lower anger- and anxiety-related emotional eating. Migration due to personal safety concerns, living with individuals from different countries, and higher acculturative stress were associated with higher emotional eating scores in females. These findings may indicate that in social contexts where direct emotional expression is less acceptable for females, emotions are more likely to be regulated through eating-related behaviors.