Examining the impacts of job stress and job satisfaction on hotel employees' eating behavior

This study examines the impacts of job stress and job satisfaction on emotional and external eating behaviors of hotel employees. It also examines the moderating effect of body mass index (BMI) on the proposed relationships. The data for the study was collected from 372 hotel employees in 10 four and five-star hotels in Antalya, Turkey. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed to test the study hypotheses. Study results reveal that job stress significantly positively influences both emotional and external eating, and that job satisfaction has a significant positive impact on only external eating behaviors of hotel employees. Study results further reveal a significant moderator effect of BMI on the relationship between job satisfaction and external eating. This is one of the first studies that investigate how job stress and job satisfaction influence external and emotional eating behaviors of employees in the hotel industry. The study findings offer valuable theoretical and practical implications for professionals, scholars, and peers in the health and hospitality industries.