ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Eating Behavior
Exploring the relationship between family support and eating behaviors with subjective well-being as the central mediating variable
Cong Xue 1
Haiou Peng 2
Mengfen Liu 3
Geng Li 4
Juyan Fang 1
Xingrui Wang 5
Pingfan Liu 5
Zhiru Liang 6
Wenxi Tang 2
1. Jishou University, Jishou, China
2. Hunan University of Medicine, Huaihua, China
3. Hunan Mechanical Electrical Polytechnic, Changsha, China
4. Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
5. Xichang University, Xichang, China
6. Xilingol League Central Hospital, Xilinhot, China
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Abstract
This study investigated the indirect pathways through which family support influences healthy eating behaviors among university students, focusing on the chain-mediating roles of negative emotional states (anxiety and depression) and subjective well-being. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 3,007 undergraduates using validated scales for family support, anxiety, depression, subjective well-being, and healthy eating behaviors. Correlation analyses revealed that family support was negatively associated with anxiety (r = -0.210) and depression (r = -0.211), and positively correlated with both subjective well-being (r = 0.250) and healthy eating (r = 0.168). Negative emotions were inversely related to well-being and healthy eating, while well-being positively correlated with healthy eating (r = 0.185). Mediation analysis using PROCESS macro demonstrated a significant chain mediation effect: family support was linked to healthier eating both directly (β = 0.610, p < 0.001) and indirectly through reduced anxiety and depression and subsequently enhanced subjective well-being. Specifically, higher family support predicted lower anxiety (β = -0.387, p < 0.001) and depression (β = -0.411, p < 0.001), which were associated with greater well-being (β = 0.327, p < 0.001) and, in turn, better eating habits. The direct effect remained significant after accounting for mediators (β = 0.401, p < 0.001). The findings clarify the psychological mechanism by which family support promotes healthier dietary choices, underscoring the mediating roles of emotional states and well-being. This provides theoretical insight into social support's impact on health behaviors and practical guidance for universities to integrate psychological support with lifestyle interventions.
Summary
Keywords
Anxiety, Depression, eating behaviors, family support, Subjective well-being, university students
Received
29 October 2025
Accepted
19 February 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Xue, Peng, Liu, Li, Fang, Wang, Liu, Liang and Tang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Wenxi Tang
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