• Gözde Bacık Yaman and Çiçek Hocaoğlu.
• Süleyman Demirel University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Isparta, Turkey. Electronic address: yaman.eg@gmail.com.
• Nutrition. 2023 Jan 1; 105: 111839111839.

ObjectivesHealth care workers are in the high-risk group in terms of contracting infection because of their role in providing care to patients with COVID-19. We aim to examine the relationship between perceived stress, emotional eating, and nutritional habits in health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted through an online survey in Turkey between July 1, 2021 and August 15, 2021. Overall, 405 participants age 19 to 67 y completed an online survey incorporating the Emotional Eating Scale (Cronbach's α = 0.84), Perceived Stress Scale (Cronbach's α = 0.84), and Nutrition Change Process Scale (Cronbach's α = 0.90). We gathered data on weight, height, and changes in eating habits during the pandemic to analyze how the pandemic affected dietary and nutritional practices.ResultsThe majority of respondents were female (67.7%). Most respondents (58%) reported changing their eating and nutritional habits during the pandemic. Economic concern and concern about finding food and water due to COVID-19 were found to affect changes in eating and dietary habits (odds ratio [OR]: 2.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.69-3.84; P < 0.001 and OR: 2.1; 95% CI, 1.39-3.18; P < 0.001, respectively). Losing a loved one because of COVID-19 was determined as an independent risk factor for eating and dietary habits (OR: 29.5; 95% CI, 2.23-38.9; P = 0.010).ConclusionsPerceived stress and emotional eating are related to changes in eating/dietary habits among health care workers during the pandemic. We recommend healthy food choices and increased physical activity to reduce emotional eating and mitigate stress.Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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