This study investigated the relationship between psychosocial stress, intuitive eating behaviors, and cortisol levels in 183 overweight Latino and African American youth ages 8-17. The results showed that higher perceived stress levels were associated with less intuitive eating behaviors. Additionally, higher nighttime salivary cortisol levels were linked to less intuitive eating. However, psychosocial stress was not correlated with cortisol levels. The study suggests that psychosocial stress may influence intuitive eating behaviors in overweight minority youth, but cortisol does not appear to mediate this relationship.

1. Relationship Between Psychosocial Stress and Intuitive
Eating in Overweight Latino and African American Youth
Vennis Hong1, Claudia M. Toledo-Corral, PhD2, Beth Hoffman, PhD2
1University of California, San Diego, 2California State University, Los Angeles
INTRODUCTION
OBJECTIVE
METHODS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS
CONCLUSIONS
SUMMARY
RESULTS
• Nearly 1/3 of the child and adolescent
population in the US is obese
• Stress and eating behaviors have been
linked to obesity
• Intuitive eating is the ability to eat in
accordance with physiological cues
• Limited knowledge exists on the association
between psychosocial stress and intuitive
eating (IE) behaviors
To investigate the relationship between
psychosocial stressors and intuitive eating and
to propose cortisol as a biological mechanism
for this relationship
• Variables
• Intuitive eating score
• Perceived stress score (PSS)
• Stressful life events (LES)
• Cortisol
• Participants: Diabetes Risk due to Ectopic
Adiposity in Minority youth (DREAM) Study
• 183 boys and girls, ages 8-17
• Mean IE score (SD): 3.61(0.44) out of 5
• Mean PSS (SD): 23.69 (5.73) out of 56
• Mean LES (SD): 20.16 (11.60) out of 66
• Statistical Analysis
• Multiple linear regression, adjusted for
age, ethnicity, sex, percent body fat,
and SES
• Perceived stress was negatively associated with
intuitive eating behaviors.
• Nighttime salivary cortisol at 2200 was negatively
correlated with intuitive eating behaviors.
• No association was observed between stress and
cortisol.
• Psychosocial stress may play a role in
intuitive eating behaviors.
• Cortisol does not appear to be a biological
mechanism for this relationship.
• Future studies should take into account
participants’ overall wellbeing, coping
strategies, and lifestyle.
• Future studies should also include a white
comparison group to determine whether
minority status contributes to this
relationship.
.
• One of few studies to examine
psychosocial stress and IE
• Focus on an understudied population
• Causality cannot be established
• Possible confounding by resilience,
coping strategies, and wellbeing
• May not be generalizable to other
races/ethnicities
• CDC Cooperative Agreement Number
3U50MN000025
• The study was funded by NIH
Grant P60 MD00254 (M.I. Goran &
M.J. Weigensberg)
Table 1
Regression of Intuitive Eating on Stress Measures
Dependent Variable: Intuitive
Eating
Perceived Stress B
P-value
95% CI
-0.02 + 0.01
< 0.01
(-0.03, -0.01)
School-Related Stressful Life Events B
P-Value
95% CI
-0.001 + 0.01
0.95
(-0.02, 0.02)
Family-Related Stressful Life Events B
P-value
95% CI
-0.01 + 0.01
0.20
(-0.03, 0.01)
Personal Stressful Life Events B
P-value
95% CI
-0.01 + 0.01
0.46
(-0.03, 0.02)
Peer-Related Stressful Life Events B
P-Value
95% CI
-0.01 + 0.01
0.223
(-0.03, 0.01)
Table 2
Regression of Intuitive Eating on Cortisol
Dependent Variable:
Intuitive Eating
Urinary Free Cortisol B
P-Value
95% CI
0.02 + 0.04
0.56
(-0.06, 0.11)
Salivary Cortisol at 2200 B
P-Value
95% CI
-0.08 + 0.03
0.04
(-0.15, -0.01)
Salivary Cortisol at 0530 B
P-Value
95% CI
0.04 + 0.08
0.64
(-0.11, 0.18)
Salivary Cortisol at 0600 B
P-Value
95% CI
-0.02 + 0.07
0.73
(-0.16, 0.11)
Serum Cortisol at 0800 B
P-Value
95% CI
-0.01 + 0.01
0.27
(-0.031, 0.01)
Nocturnal Cortisol Rise B
P-Value
95% CI
0.08 + 0.07
0.26
(-0.06, 0.23)
Cortisol Awakening Response B
P-Value
95% CI
-0.04 + 0.07
0.54
(-0.17, 0.09)
Table 3
Regression of Cortisol Measures on Stress Measures
Dependent Variables
Natural Log of
Urinary Free
Cortisol
Natural Log of
Salivary Cortisol
2200
Salivary Cortisol
0530
Salivary Cortisol
0600
Serum Cortisol
0800
Nocturnal Cortisol
Rise
Cortisol Awakening
Response
Perceived Stress B
P-Value
95% CI
-0.03 + 0.02
0.107
(-0.07, 0.01)
0.01 + 0.01
0.34
(-0.01, 0.04)
0.004 + 0.01
0.56
(-0.01, 0.02)
-0.01 + 0.01
0.87
(-0.02, 0.02)
-0.05 + 0.05
0.35
(-0.15, 0.06)
0.01 + 0.01
0.56
(-0.01, 0.02)
-0.002 + 0.01
0.84
(-0.02, 0.02)
School-Related Stressful Life Events B
P-Value
95% CI
0.02 + 0.50
0.64
(-0.08, 0.12)
0.004 + 0.02
0.83
(-0.03, 0.04)
-0.01 + 0.01
0.55
(-0.02, 0.01)
-0.003 + 0.01
0.73
(-0.02, 0.02)
0.07 + 0.06
0.26
(-0.05, 0.20)
-0.01 + 0.01
0.49
(-0.03, 0.01)
0.004 + 0.01
0.73
(-0.02, 0.03)
Family-Related Stressful Life Events B
P-Value
95% CI
-0.002 + 0.02
0.95
(-0.05, 0.05)
-0.001 + 0.02
0.95
(-0.04, 0.04)
-0.01 + 0.01
0.70
(-0.03 0.02)
0.02 + 0.01
0.21
(-0.01, 0.04)
-0.05 + 0.08
0.55
(-0.21, 0.11)
-0.003 + 0.01
0.83
(-0.03, 0.02)
0.02 + 0.02
0.29
(-0.01, 0.04)
Personal Stressful Life Events B
P-Value
95% CI
-0.01 + 0.03
0.71
(-0.07, 0.05)
0.03 + 0.03
0.34
(-0.03, 0.08)
0.00 + 0.02
0.99
(-0.03, 0.03)
0.02 + 0.02
0.16
(-0.01, 0.06)
-0.06 + 0.10
0.56
(-0.25, 0.14)
-0.01 + 0.02
0.70
(-0.04, 0.02)
0.02 + 0.02
0.22
(-0.01, 0.06)
Peer-Related Stressful Life Events B
P-Value
95% CI
-0.002 + 0.03
0.93
(-0.06, 0.05)
0.01 + 0.02
0.64
(-0.03, 0.05)
-0.02 + 0.01
0.23
(-0.04, 0.01)
0.01 + 0.01
0.45
(-0.02, 0.04)
-0.02 + 0.08
0.78
(-0.19, 0.14)
-0.02 + 0.01
0.21
(-0.04, 0.01)
0.03 + 0.01
0.08
(-0.003, 0.05)