AUTHOR=Tan Shuoyuan , Yang Rui , Abdukerima Gulqihra , Xu Yimin , Zhu Lihong , Xu Bin , Shen Wenwei , Song Lixin , Ji Bing , Wang Zhaoxin , Chen Chen , Shi Jianwei 

TITLE=Unraveling the role of social support in eating behavior among children and adolescents in Shanghai, China: exploring the mediating role of self-efficacy and the moderating influence of BMI and weight concern

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nutrition

VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1411097

DOI=10.3389/fnut.2024.1411097

ISSN=2296-861X

ABSTRACT=Objectives: This study explores the intricate relationship between social support and eating behaviors in children and adolescents, considering the mediating role of eating self-efficacy and the moderating effects of body mass index (BMI) and weight concern. Methods: Data from 1986 primary and secondary school students aged 8 to 17 in Shanghai, China, were analyzed using moderated mediation analysis. Results:The results demonstrate a robust positive association between social support and eating self-efficacy, particularly prominent among individuals with low BMI (effect=0.506, 95% CI [0.376, 0.636]). Moreover, the study highlights that eating behavior is influenced not only by eating self-control (β= -0.054, 95% CI [-0.062, -0.046]) but also by the interaction term between individuals' perceptions of their body weight (β= -0.0008, 95% CI [-0.0015, -0.0001]). Conclusions: Eating self-efficacy serves as a mediator in the relationship between social support and eating behavior, modulated by BMI and weight concern. Importantly, high weight concern significantly strengthens the mediating effect of eating self-efficacy on the relationship between social support and eating behavior, regardless of BMI.