Emotional eating and mental health of nurses working in Lebanese hospitals during the double crisis

The 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and strict quarantine increased the likelihood of mental symptoms and abnormal eating behaviours. This study aimed to assess the magnitude of emotional eating (EE) among nurses working in Lebanese hospitals and its association with mental health. A cross-sectional study was conducted among nurses aged between 18 and 50 years working in Lebanese hospitals during the COVID-19 outbreak and the economic crisis. A total of 303 nurses consented to participate. The mean EE score was 28.56 (+/- 8.11). The results of this study revealed that 53.8% of the nurses reported depression, 58.1% suffered from anxiety and 95.1% experienced either moderate or severe stress. The study concluded that females (beta = 8.112, P = 0.004), non-smokers (beta = -4.732, P = 0.01) and depressed nurses (beta = 0.596, P = 0.046) had a higher tendency towards EE. Additionally, it was found that EE was associated with weight gain (beta = 6.048, P = 0.03) and increased consumption of fried foods (beta = 5.223, P = 0.001). Females experienced more stress (beta = 2.244, P = 0.003) and anxiety (beta = 1.526, P = 0.021) than their male counterparts. With regard to mental health, depression was associated with weight gain (beta = 2.402, P = 0.003) and with lower consumption of healthy foods such as nuts (beta = -1.706, P = 0.009) and dishes prepared with sofrito sauce (beta = -1.378, P = 0.012). These results can help the health authorities to design preparedness plans to ensure proper mental and physical well-being of nurses during any unforeseen emergencies.