Self-efficacy for controlling upsetting thoughts and emotional eating in family caregivers

Abstract

Objectives: Self-efficacy for controlling upsetting thoughts was examined as a predictor of emotional eating by family caregivers of physically and cognitively impaired older adults.

Methods: Adult women (N = 158) providing healthcare assistance for an older family member completed an online survey about caregiving stressors, depressive symptoms, self-efficacy, and emotional eating. A stress process framework was used as a conceptual model to guide selection of variables predicting emotional eating scores.

Results: A hierarchical multiple regression was conducted and the overall model was significant (R² = .21, F(4,153) = 10.02, p < .01); self-efficacy for controlling upsetting thoughts was a significant predictor of caregivers’ emotional eating scores after accounting for IADL, role overload, and depression scores.

Conclusion: These findings replicate previous research demonstrating the relationship between managing cognitions about caregiving and behavioral responses to stressors, and point to the importance of addressing cognitive processes in efforts to improve caregiver health behaviors.

KEYWORDS:

• Family caregivers
• self-efficacy
• emotional eating
• stress process

Acknowledgments

We wish to thank the St. Louis Breakthrough Coalition and the caregivers who participated in this research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This project was supported by the UM-St. Louis Express Scripts Research Award.