Analysis of eating behavior and biopsychosocial aspects in working men

Authors

  • Bárbara Birck Martins Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Curso de Graduação em Nutrição. Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8387-5149
  • Juliana Ribeiro Fontoura Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Curso de Graduação em Nutrição. Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5620-3134
  • Helen Freitas D’avila Universidade de Santa Cruz do Sul, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Promoção da Saúde. Santa Cruz do Sul, RS, Brasil. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2569-5681
  • Fernanda Michielin Busnello Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Departamento de Nutrição. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Nutrição. Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9091-142X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12957/demetra.2026.78785

Keywords:

Eating Behavior. Occupational Health Surveillance. Mental Health. Emotional Eating. Men.

Abstract

Introduction: Individuals spend a large portion of their day engaged in work activities. Pressure and stress are common in the workplace, and these factors may impact health and eating behavior. Objective: To analyze the eating behavior of working men and its possible association with stress, nutritional status, socioeconomic status, and physical activity level. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 104 working men who completed questionnaires on sociodemographic characteristics, eating behavior using the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-21 (TFEQ-21), perceived stress using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4), and physical activity using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Results: The median age of participants was 31 years (IQR 27.0–40.8), and 51 (49%) were classified as overweight. Most participants were considered physically active according to the IPAQ. The median PSS-4 score was 6.0 (IQR 4.0–9.0), suggesting low levels of perceived stress. In the TFEQ-21, the median score was 38.9 (27.8–55.6), with higher values observed in the cognitive restraint dimension compared with the other dimensions. Emotional eating showed a significant positive correlation with uncontrolled eating (r = 0.60, p < 0.001) and perceived stress (r = 0.365, p < 0.001). Additional analyses revealed significant differences between groups who had followed a diet (p < 0.001) or received nutritional counseling (p = 0.005) and the cognitive restraint dimension. A significant difference was also observed between more physically active groups (p < 0.001) regarding cognitive restraint. Conclusions: Working men who reported emotional eating presented higher levels of stress and uncontrolled eating. Furthermore, those who had followed a diet or received nutritional counseling showed higher scores in the cognitive restraint dimension.

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Published

2026-07-22

How to Cite

1.
Birck Martins B, Ribeiro Fontoura J, Freitas D’avila H, Michielin Busnello F. Analysis of eating behavior and biopsychosocial aspects in working men. DEMETRA [Internet]. 2026 Jul. 22 [cited 2026 Jul. 26];21:e78785. Available from: https://www.e-publicacoes.uerj.br/demetra/article/view/78785

Issue

Vol. 21 (2026)

Section

Clinical Nutrition

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Copyright (c) 2026 Juliana Ribeiro Fontoura

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