Exploring emotional eating and its management among Middle Eastern females living in the UK: From exploration to culturally adapted intervention

Abstract

Rationale: Emotional Eating (EE) is a worldwide concern due to its potential impact on physical health. Despite this, there is a dearth of research and interventions, particularly among the Middle Eastern population whereby cultural differences are overlooked. This research was undertaken in two phases using a mixed-methods approach. Phase 1 Method: Semi-structured interviews explored EE among sixteen Middle Eastern females who identified EE as something they would like to better manage (mean age = 37, SD = 4.13). Results: Thematic analysis identified three themes compromising of: ‘Experiences of Emotional Eating’, ‘Factors Perceived as Influencing Emotional Eating’ and ‘Recommendations for culturally adapted Emotional Eating interventions’. These findings, along with relevant literature, and use of patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) were utilised when developing a culturally adapted intervention for delivery in phase two. Phase 2 Method: Thirteen Middle Eastern women participated in four sessions of Cognitive Behavioural group therapy over four weeks. This involved psychoeducation, identifying and challenging thoughts, goal setting, problem-solving, and formulating relapse plans. Ten participants were in a waiting list control group for comparative purposes. Results: Participants completed the emotional eating subscale from the modified Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (DEBQ: Bailly et al., 2012). A repeated ANOVA analysed pre- and post-scores to assess the effectiveness of the intervention, and a statistically significant (F1, 21= 49.18, p<.001 η2=.701) reduction in participants’ EE post-intervention was found. Thematic analysis revealed the benefits of sharing and hearing others’ stories and psychoeducation in increasing understanding of EE and improving coping strategies for the management of unmet needs and unpleasant emotions. Implications: Findings offer insight into Middle Eastern women's experiences of EE, factors which contribute towards it, and the outcomes of a culturally adapted intervention intended to help manage EE. Future research could explore the use of culturally adapted interventions longitudinally to examine individuals’ experiences with, and management of EE longer term.