Table 1.
Demographic and anthropometric characteristics of the total sample, non-addicted (NFA) and food addicted (FAD) groups.
| Participant characteristics | Total sample | NFA | FAD | p |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 462 | 394 (85.3%) | 68 (14.7%) | |
| Female | 395 (85.5%) | 330 (83.8%) | 65 (95.6%) | .01a |
| Age (years) [mean (SD)] | 25.1 (4.0) | 25.1 (4.1) | 25.1 (4.4) | .96b |
| Indigenous | 6 (1.3%) | 5 (1.3%) | 1 (1.5%) | .89a |
| Self-reported height (cm) [mean (SD)] | 168.5 (8.1) | 168.6 (8.2) | 168.3 (7.7) | .79b |
| Self-reported weight (kg) [mean (SD)] | 66.1 (14.4) | 64.6 (11.6) | 75.0 (23.4) | <.001* b |
| Self-reported BMI (kg/m2) [mean (SD)] | 23.2 (4.5) | 22.7 (3.5) | 26.4 (7.6) | <.001* b |
| BMI category | ||||
| Underweight | 25 (5.4%) | 23 (5.8%) | 2 (2.9%) | |
| Normal weight | 337 (72.9%) | 302 (76.7%) | 35 (51.5%) | |
| Overweight | 64 (13.9%) | 49 (12.4%) | 15 (22.1%) | |
| Obese | 36 (7.8%) | 20 (5.1%) | 16 (23.5%) | <.001* a |
| Highest qualification | ||||
| No formal qualifications | 1 (0.2%) | 1 (0.3%) | 0 (0%) | |
| School certificate or Higher school certificate | 168 (36.7%) | 136 (34.5%) | 32 (47.1%) | |
| Trade or Diploma | 59 (12.8%) | 44 (11.2%) | 15 (22.1%) | |
| University degree or Higher university degree | 234 (50.7%) | 213 (54.1%) | 21 (30.9%) | .003a |
| Mean number of YFAS symptoms reported | ||||
| Mean symptoms [mean (SD)] | 2.4 (1.8) | 1.9 (1.4) | 5.2 (1.5) | <.001* b |
| Percentage of participants reporting specific YFAS symptoms | ||||
| Larger amounts consumed than intended | 90 (19.5%) | 48 (12.8%) | 42 (61.8%) | <.001* a |
| Persistent desire or unsuccessful attempts to cut down or control eating | 423 (91.6%) | 356 (90.4%) | 67 (98.5%) | .03a |
| Much time spent obtaining food or eating or recovering from consumption | 113 (24.5%) | 64 (16.2%) | 49 (72.1%) | <.001* a |
| Social, occupational or recreational activities given up | 78 (16.9%) | 37 (9.4%) | 41 (60.3%) | <.001* a |
| Continued eating despite physical or psychological problems | 172 (37.2%) | 111 (28.2%) | 61 (89.7%) | <.001* a |
| Tolerance | 120 (26.0%) | 72 (18.3%) | 48 (70.6%) | <.001* a |
| Withdrawal symptoms | 91 (19.7%) | 45 (11.4%) | 46 (67.7%) | <.001* a |
| Clinically significant impairment or distress | 79 (17.1%) | 11 (2.8%) | 68 (100.0%) | <.001* a |
Unless otherwise specified, data are presented as count (%).a = Chi squared test, b = t-test. BMI = body mass index, FAD = ‘Food addicted’ (≥ 3 symptoms + satisfying clinical impairment/distress criteria), NFA = non-addicted, YFAS = Yale Food Addiction Scale. * = p < .05.