ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Current research on eating attitude has focused primarily on female perspective (Kapoor et al. in J Educ Health Promot 11(80):1-7, 2022; Piko et al. in J Prev Med Hyg. 63(1):83-89, 2022). To extend cross-gender approaches, this study aimed to examine the relationship between early maladaptive schemas, temperament, and eating attitude and to see whether these three concepts differ between men and women. METHODS: The sample group consists of a total of 308 participants, 206 (66.9%) women and 102 (33.1%) men, living in Bursa and participating in the research voluntarily. In the study, Sociodemographic Data Form was used to obtain personal information of the participants, Young Schema Questionnaire-Short Form 3 was used to evaluate early maladaptive schemas, Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San-Diego Autoquestionnaire was used to evaluate temperament characteristics and Eating Attitude Test was used to evaluate eating attitudes. RESULTS: As a result of the study, a moderate and positive relationship was found between the Defectiveness, Emotional Inhibition, Enmeshment/Dependence, Failure, Abandonment, Vulnerability to Harm or Illness, Negativity/Pessimism schemas and eating attitude. Among these schemas, Defectiveness was found to be the best predictor of deterioration in eating attitude. A weak and positive relationship was found between the scores obtained from the Eating Attitude Test and Cyclothymic and Irritable temperaments, and a moderate positive relationship with Anxious temperament. Among these temperaments, Anxious temperament was found to be the best predictor of deterioration in eating attitude. CONCLUSIONS: When the results were examined, a relationship was observed between early maladaptive schemas and temperament types, and this relationship was examined in detail. The results obtained at the end of the study were discussed and suggestions were made for future studies.
This study examined the relationship between early maladaptive schemas, temperament, eating attitude and the effect of gender variable on these concepts in adults. Early maladaptive schemas are basic mental constructs that occur as a result of negative experiences early in life. Temperament is a long-term, often life-long structural traits that change little throughout an individual's life. Eating attitude is the tendency that creates an individual's feelings, thoughts and behaviors related to eating and nutrition. Disruptions in eating attitudes can lead to eating disorders. Results revealed a relationship between Defectiveness, Emotional Inhibition, Enmeshment/Dependence, Failure, Abandonment, Vulnerability to Harm or Illness, Negativity/Pessimism schemas and eating attitude. Among schemas, Defectiveness was found to be the best predictor of deterioration in eating attitude. Among temperaments, Anxious temperament was found to be the best predictor of deterioration in eating attitude. Additionally, a relationship was found between early maladaptive schemas and temperament types. This relationship sheds light on the relationship between the development and treatment of eating disorders.
