Food addiction and associated factors in newly diagnosed patients with schizophrenia: a cross-sectional comparison with siblings and healthy controls
Abstract Background Despite the potential clinical and treatment relevance of food addiction (FA) among individuals with schizophrenia, the scientific literature on its characteristics and correlates within this population is sparse. Limited knowledge on FA in patients with schizophrenia may impede...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Journal of Eating Disorders |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-025-01196-z |
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| author | Feten Fekih-Romdhane Youssef Boukadida Abir Hakiri Wided Homri Majda Cheour Souheil Hallit |
| author_facet | Feten Fekih-Romdhane Youssef Boukadida Abir Hakiri Wided Homri Majda Cheour Souheil Hallit |
| author_sort | Feten Fekih-Romdhane |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Despite the potential clinical and treatment relevance of food addiction (FA) among individuals with schizophrenia, the scientific literature on its characteristics and correlates within this population is sparse. Limited knowledge on FA in patients with schizophrenia may impede progress in developing effective treatments for pathological eating patterns and the common obesity and metabolic syndrome problems in this population. Considering these research gaps, the present study aimed to compare the nature and prevalence of FA symptoms among patients with first-episode schizophrenia, their siblings, and healthy controls. As a secondary objective, this study sought to examine the psychopathological correlates of FA in the patients’ group. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in Razi Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia, from January to June 2024. A total of 112 newly diagnosed, clinically stabilized patients with first-episode schizophrenia, 77 of their unaffected siblings and 78 healthy controls were included. FA was assessed using the modified version of the Yale Food Addiction Scale (mYFAS 2.0). The Metacognitions Questionnaire (MCQ-30) and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire were administered to the patients’ group. Results Findings showed a higher prevalence of FA in the patient group (32.1%) compared to both siblings (13.0%) and controls (9.0%). Siblings had higher FA scores compared to controls (16.12 ± 4.95 versus 15.00 ± 6.09; p < 0.001). After Bonferroni correction for multiple testing, higher FA scores were significantly associated with less cognitive self-consciousness (Beta = − 0.54), older age (Beta = 0.45), and higher psychological distress (Beta = 0.63). Conclusion Our findings suggest that people with first-episode schizophrenia are likely to present with co-occurring FA, and experience associated distress. Findings also provide initial support for a possible connection between dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs and FA in patients with schizophrenia, suggesting that cognitive self-consciousness may be a fundamental cognitive process in FA in this population. This may lend some theoretical and clinical implications for alleviating FA symptoms in schizophrenia. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-aee20c445ef5478096ee1b584152a088 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2050-2974 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Eating Disorders |
| spelling | doaj-art-aee20c445ef5478096ee1b584152a0882025-02-09T12:04:06ZengBMCJournal of Eating Disorders2050-29742025-02-0113111510.1186/s40337-025-01196-zFood addiction and associated factors in newly diagnosed patients with schizophrenia: a cross-sectional comparison with siblings and healthy controlsFeten Fekih-Romdhane0Youssef Boukadida1Abir Hakiri2Wided Homri3Majda Cheour4Souheil Hallit5The Tunisian Center of Early Intervention in Psychosis, Department of Psychiatry “Ibn Omrane”, Razi HospitalFaculty of Medicine of Sousse, University of SousseFaculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar UniversityFaculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar UniversityThe Tunisian Center of Early Intervention in Psychosis, Department of Psychiatry “Ibn Omrane”, Razi HospitalSchool of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of KaslikAbstract Background Despite the potential clinical and treatment relevance of food addiction (FA) among individuals with schizophrenia, the scientific literature on its characteristics and correlates within this population is sparse. Limited knowledge on FA in patients with schizophrenia may impede progress in developing effective treatments for pathological eating patterns and the common obesity and metabolic syndrome problems in this population. Considering these research gaps, the present study aimed to compare the nature and prevalence of FA symptoms among patients with first-episode schizophrenia, their siblings, and healthy controls. As a secondary objective, this study sought to examine the psychopathological correlates of FA in the patients’ group. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in Razi Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia, from January to June 2024. A total of 112 newly diagnosed, clinically stabilized patients with first-episode schizophrenia, 77 of their unaffected siblings and 78 healthy controls were included. FA was assessed using the modified version of the Yale Food Addiction Scale (mYFAS 2.0). The Metacognitions Questionnaire (MCQ-30) and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire were administered to the patients’ group. Results Findings showed a higher prevalence of FA in the patient group (32.1%) compared to both siblings (13.0%) and controls (9.0%). Siblings had higher FA scores compared to controls (16.12 ± 4.95 versus 15.00 ± 6.09; p < 0.001). After Bonferroni correction for multiple testing, higher FA scores were significantly associated with less cognitive self-consciousness (Beta = − 0.54), older age (Beta = 0.45), and higher psychological distress (Beta = 0.63). Conclusion Our findings suggest that people with first-episode schizophrenia are likely to present with co-occurring FA, and experience associated distress. Findings also provide initial support for a possible connection between dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs and FA in patients with schizophrenia, suggesting that cognitive self-consciousness may be a fundamental cognitive process in FA in this population. This may lend some theoretical and clinical implications for alleviating FA symptoms in schizophrenia.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-025-01196-zFood addictionMetacognitionEmotion regulationSchizophreniaDisordered eating |
| spellingShingle | Feten Fekih-Romdhane Youssef Boukadida Abir Hakiri Wided Homri Majda Cheour Souheil Hallit Food addiction and associated factors in newly diagnosed patients with schizophrenia: a cross-sectional comparison with siblings and healthy controls Journal of Eating Disorders Food addiction Metacognition Emotion regulation Schizophrenia Disordered eating |
| title | Food addiction and associated factors in newly diagnosed patients with schizophrenia: a cross-sectional comparison with siblings and healthy controls |
| title_full | Food addiction and associated factors in newly diagnosed patients with schizophrenia: a cross-sectional comparison with siblings and healthy controls |
| title_fullStr | Food addiction and associated factors in newly diagnosed patients with schizophrenia: a cross-sectional comparison with siblings and healthy controls |
| title_full_unstemmed | Food addiction and associated factors in newly diagnosed patients with schizophrenia: a cross-sectional comparison with siblings and healthy controls |
| title_short | Food addiction and associated factors in newly diagnosed patients with schizophrenia: a cross-sectional comparison with siblings and healthy controls |
| title_sort | food addiction and associated factors in newly diagnosed patients with schizophrenia a cross sectional comparison with siblings and healthy controls |
| topic | Food addiction Metacognition Emotion regulation Schizophrenia Disordered eating |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-025-01196-z |
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