Table 1. Characteristics of the study group.
| Variable | Food addiction | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NFA | FA | Total | |||||
| N | % | N | % | N | % | ||
| Gender | Female | 116 | 82.9% | 25 | 78.1% | 141 | 82.0% |
| Male | 24 | 17.1% | 7 | 21.9% | 31 | 18.0% | |
| Age range | Up to 50 years of age | 25 | 17.9% | 16 | 50.0% | 41 | 23.8% |
| 51–65 years of age | 58 | 41.4% | 12 | 37.5% | 70 | 40.7% | |
| Over 65 years of age | 57 | 40.7% | 4 | 12.5% | 61 | 35.5% | |
| Education | Primary education | 1 | 0.7% | 0 | 0% | 1 | 0.6% |
| Lower secondary education | 3 | 2.1% | 1 | 3.1% | 4 | 2.3% | |
| Vocational education | 9 | 6.4% | 2 | 6.3% | 11 | 6.4% | |
| Secondary education | 34 | 24.3% | 8 | 25.0% | 42 | 24.4% | |
| Higher education | 93 | 66.4% | 21 | 65.6% | 114 | 66.3% | |
| Place of residence | Village | 29 | 20.7% | 7 | 21.9% | 36 | 20.9% |
| City | 111 | 79.3% | 25 | 78.1% | 136 | 79.1% | |
| Comorbidities | Metabolic diseases | 28 | 20.0% | 5 | 15.6% | 33 | 19.2% |
| Cardiovascular diseases | 67 | 47.9% | 15 | 46.9% | 82 | 47.7% | |
| Thyroid diseases | 34 | 24.3% | 11 | 34.4% | 45 | 26.2% | |
| Respiratory diseases | 18 | 12.9% | 2 | 6.3% | 20 | 11.6% | |
| Diseases of the digestive system | 22 | 15.7% | 1 | 3.1% | 23 | 13.4% | |
| BED | 2 | 1.4% | 3 | 9.4% | 5 | 2.9% | |
| Cancer diseases | 2 | 1.4% | 1 | 3.1% | 3 | 1.7% | |
| Osteoarticular diseases | 7 | 5.0% | 1 | 3.1% | 8 | 4.7% | |
| Not applicable | 35 | 25.0% | 7 | 21.9% | 42 | 24.4% | |
| Professional activity | Retirement/Pension | 62 | 44.3% | 5 | 15.6% | 67 | 39.0% |
| Occasional workers | 8 | 5.7% | 3 | 9.4% | 11 | 6.4% | |
| Permanent employment | 70 | 50.0% | 24 | 75.0% | 94 | 54.7% | |
| Employment form | Not working | 62 | 44.3% | 5 | 15.6% | 67 | 39.0% |
| Working | 78 | 55.7% | 27 | 84.4% | 105 | 61.0% | |
| BMI classification (kg/m2) | Overweight | 60 | 42.9% | 8 | 25.0% | 68 | 39.5% |
| Class I obesity | 52 | 37.1% | 12 | 37.5% | 64 | 37.2% | |
| Class II obesity | 17 | 12.1% | 6 | 18.8% | 23 | 13.4% | |
| Class III obesity | 11 | 7.9% | 6 | 18.8% | 17 | 9.9% | |
| Blood pressure (mmHg) | Optimal | 56 | 40.0% | 12 | 37.5% | 68 | 39.5% |
| Elevated | 9 | 6.4% | 4 | 12.5% | 13 | 7.6% | |
| Hypertension | 75 | 53.6% | 16 | 50.0% | 91 | 52.9% | |
| TC (mg/dl) | Acceptable | 44 | 31.4% | 14 | 43.8% | 58 | 33.7% |
| Abnormal | 96 | 68.6% | 18 | 56.3% | 114 | 66.3% | |
| LDL (mg/dl) | Acceptable | 61 | 43.6% | 15 | 46.9% | 76 | 44.2% |
| Abnormal | 79 | 56.4% | 17 | 53.1% | 96 | 55.8% | |
| HDL (mg/dl) | Acceptable | 86 | 61.4% | 21 | 65.6% | 107 | 62.2% |
| Abnormal | 54 | 38.6% | 11 | 34.4% | 65 | 37.8% | |
| TG (mg/dl) | Acceptable | 66 | 47.1% | 19 | 59.4% | 85 | 49.4% |
| Abnormal | 74 | 52.9% | 13 | 40.6% | 87 | 50.6% | |
| Fasting blood glucose (mg/dl) | Acceptable | 50 | 35.7% | 11 | 34.4% | 61 | 35.5% |
| Abnormal | 90 | 64.3% | 21 | 65.6% | 111 | 64.5% | |
| Level of PA | Insufficient | 80 | 57.1% | 14 | 43.8% | 94 | 54.7% |
| Sufficient | 60 | 42.9% | 18 | 56.3% | 78 | 45.3% | |
| Smoking | Yes | 17 | 12.1% | 10 | 31.3% | 27 | 15.7% |
| No | 123 | 87.9% | 22 | 68.8% | 145 | 84.3% | |
| Alcohol consumption | Several times a month or less frequently | 114 | 81.4% | 21 | 65.6% | 135 | 78.5% |
| Several times a week and more often | 26 | 18.6% | 11 | 34.4% | 37 | 21.5% | |
| Workday sleep time (hours/day) | six or less | 55 | 39.3% | 14 | 43.8% | 69 | 40.1% |
| 7–8 | 72 | 51.4% | 15 | 46.9% | 87 | 50.6% | |
| nine and more | 13 | 9.3% | 3 | 9.4% | 16 | 9.3% | |
| Weekend sleep time (hours/day) | six or less | 29 | 20.7% | 6 | 18.8% | 35 | 20.3% |
| 7–8 | 82 | 58.6% | 15 | 46.9% | 97 | 56.4% | |
| nine and more | 29 | 20.7% | 11 | 34.4% | 40 | 23.3% | |
| Depressive symptoms | Lack of symptoms | 114 | 81.4% | 19 | 59.4% | 133 | 77.3% |
| Minor to mild depression | 23 | 16.4% | 11 | 34.4% | 34 | 19.8% | |
| Moderate to significant depression | 3 | 2.1% | 2 | 6.3% | 5 | 2.9% | |
| Severity of FA | Lack of symptoms | 140 | 100.0% | 0 | 0% | 140 | 81.4% |
| Mild | 0 | 0% | 10 | 31.3% | 10 | 5.8% | |
| Moderate | 0 | 0% | 8 | 25.0% | 8 | 4.7% | |
| Severe | 0 | 0% | 14 | 43.8% | 14 | 8.1% | |
| Eating behaviours | Uncontrolled eating | 47 | 33.6% | 12 | 37.5% | 59 | 34.3% |
| Emotional eating | 58 | 41.4% | 9 | 28.1% | 67 | 39.0% | |
| Cognitive restraint | 35 | 25.0% | 11 | 34.4% | 46 | 26.7% | |
| Cooccurrence of FA and depression symptoms | Absence of symptoms of FA and depression | 114 | 81.4% | 0 | 0% | 114 | 66.3% |
| Depressive symptoms | 26 | 18.6% | 0 | 0% | 26 | 15.1% | |
| FA | 0 | 0% | 19 | 59.4% | 19 | 11.0% | |
| Depressive symptoms and FA | 0 | 0% | 13 | 40.6% | 13 | 7.6% | |
Note:
N, abundance; BED, Binge Eating Disorder; BMI, Body Mass Index; TC, total cholesterol; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; TG, triglycerides; FA, Food Addiction; PA, physical activity.