COVID-19 stress and emotional eating in mothers of young children.

This study examined associations between COVID-19 stress and emotional eating and whether depressive symptoms moderated this association in mothers of children aged four years and younger. The sample consisted of 205 mothers who completed an online questionnaire containing measures of emotional eating, COVID-19 stress and depression. There was a positive association between emotional eating and COVID-19 Experience Scale (r = .169, p < .05). Depression moderated the association between stress related to obtaining essential items during COVID-19 and emotional eating (𝛽 = -.265, p < .01). Findings from this study suggest that stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to negatively impact health behaviors, including emotional eating, in mothers of young children.