The effect of emotion regulation on emotional eating among undergraduate students in China: the chain mediating role of impulsivity and depressive symptoms

This study aimed to examine the relationship between difficulties in emotion regulation and emotional eating and the role of impulsivity and depressive symptoms in mediating this chain. Four hundred ninety-four undergraduate students participated in the study. A self-designed questionnaire was used in the survey from February 6 to 13, 2022, to finish our purpose, including the Emotional Eating Scale (EES-R), Depression Scale (CES-D), the Short Version of the Impulsivity Behavior Scale (UPPS-P) and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). Results showed that 1) There was a positive correlation between difficulties in emotion regulation, impulsivity, depressive symptoms, and emotional eating, respectively.2) Impulsivity and depressive symptoms mediated the relationship between emotion regulation and emotional eating separately. 3) Impulsivity and depressive symptoms played the mediating chain role between emotion regulation and emotional eating.