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Table 4 Consumption frequency of comfort foods according to sex, age, BMI, and being a stress-eater

From: Stress eating: an online survey of eating behaviours, comfort foods, and healthy food substitutes in German adults

  

Sexa

Age

BMI

Stress-eatersf

Comfort food

Frequency

OR [95% CI]b

pc

OR [95% CI]

pd

OR [95% CI]

pe

OR [95% CI]

pg

Chocolate

never

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

rarely

1.22 [0.75; 1.97]

0.40

1.01 [0.99; 1.03]

0.29

1.02 [0.95; 1.09]

0.57

2.19 [1.20; 3.99]

0.01

sometimes

2.78 [1.69; 4.57]

<  0.001

1.06 [0.99; 1.03]

0.11

1.06 [0.99; 1.13]

0.09

2.50 [1.41; 4.45]

0.002

often

2.07 [1.26; 3.41]

0.0041

1.05 [0.99; 1.03]

0.28

1.05 [0.98; 1.12]

0.15

10.60 [6.06; 18.53]

<  0.001

very often

3.05 [1.66; 5.59]

<  0.001

1.07 [0.98; 1.02]

0.95

1.07 [1.00; 1.15]

0.046

23.52 [12.76; 43.38]

<  0.001

Candies

never

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

rarely

1.25 [0.85; 1.81]

0.25

1.00 [0.99; 1.01]

0.76

1.04 [1.00; 1.08]

0.03

1.56 [1.15; 2.10]

0.0038

sometimes

1.25 [0.79; 1.97]

0.34

1.01 [0.99; 1.03]

0.08

1.07 [1.03; 1.12]

0.002

1.50 [1.04; 2.17]

0.03

often

1.10 [0.61; 2.00]

0.75

1.03 [1.01; 1.04]

<  0.001

1.06 [1.01; 1.12]

0.02

6.43 [3.79; 10.93]

<  0.001

very often

1.43 [0.57; 3.57]

0.44

0.99 [0.97; 1.02]

0.70

1.10 [1.03; 1.17]

0.0043

7.99 [3.45; 18.51]

<  0.001

Ice cream

never

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

rarely

0.96 [0.67; 1.39]

0.84

1.00 [0.99; 1.01]

0.77

1.04 [0.99; 1.07]

0.06

1.84 [1.36; 2.49]

<  0.001

sometimes

1.22 [0.74; 2.00]

0.43

0.99 [0.98; 1.01]

0.34

1.05 [1.00; 1.09]

0.03

3.34 [2.27; 4.92]

<  0.001

often

2.09 [0.80; 5.46]

0.13

0.99 [0.97; 1.01]

0.41

1.02 [0.96; 1.09]

0.52

4.56 [2.41; 8.66]

<  0.001

very often

4.31 [0.56; 33.26]

0.16

0.97 [0.92; 1.01]

0.17

1.09 [1.00; 1.19]

0.05

3.49 [1.22; 10.02]

0.02

Cake

never

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

rarely

1.76 [1.20; 2.58]

0.0038

1.02 [1.00; 1.03]

0.009

1.01 [0.97; 1.05]

0.67

1.86 [1.35; 2.55]

<  0.001

sometimes

1.38 [0.94; 2.03]

0.10

1.03 [1.01; 1.04]

<  0.001

0.99 [0.95; 1.03]

0.71

2.49 [1.80; 3.46]

<  0.001

often

2.20 [1.22; 3.99]

0.01

1.03 [1.01; 1.04]

0.009

1.02 [0.97; 1.07]

0.52

5.36 [3.45; 8.34]

<  0.001

very often

2.04 [0.68; 6.13]

0.20

1.03 [1.01; 1.06]

0.02

1.04 [0.97; 1.12]

0.24

11.65 [4.30; 31.61]

<  0.001

Cookies

never

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

rarely

1.21 [0.81; 1.80]

0.35

1.02 [1.00; 1.03]

0.01

1.00 [0.95; 1.04]

0.92

1.78 [1.24; 2.56]

0.002

sometimes

1.58 [1.05; 2.37]

0.03

1.01 [0.99; 1.03]

0.08

1.00 [0.96; 1.05]

0.86

2.83 [2.01; 4.00]

<  0.001

often

1.16 [0.73; 1.83]

0.54

1.00 [0.99; 1.02]

0.55

1.01 [0.97; 1.06]

0.64

7.20 [4.83; 10.72]

<  0.001

very often

2.31 [0.86; 6.20]

0.10

0.99 [0.96; 1.01]

0.38

1.01 [0.94; 1.08]

0.85

25.31 [10.38; 61.69]

<  0.001

Crisps

never

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

rarely

1.24 [0.84; 1.82]

0.27

0.99 [0.98; 1.01]

0.27

1.05 [1.01; 1.10]

0.009

1.34 [0.98; 1.82]

0.07

sometimes

1.08 [0.71; 1.63]

0.73

0.98 [0.97; 0.99]

0.01

1.07 [1.03; 1.12]

0.002

1.52 [1.08; 2.15]

0.02

often

0.80 [0.49; 1.29]

0.36

0.99 [0.97; 1.00]

0.17

1.05 [1.00; 1.10]

0.05

5.46 [3.60; 8.30]

<  0.001

very often

0.89 [0.42; 1.91]

0.77

0.97 [0.94; 0.99]

0.02

1.09 [1.02; 1.18]

0.008

8.22 [3.95; 17.12]

<  0.001

Salted nuts

never

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

rarely

0.77 [0.53; 1.12]

0.17

1.01 [0.99; 1.02]

0.11

1.03 [0.99; 1.07]

0.11

1.40 [1.02; 1.92]

0.04

sometimes

1.35 [0.85; 2.17]

0.21

1.01 [0.99; 1.03]

0.08

1.01 [0.97; 1.05]

0.67

1.65 [1.17; 2.32]

0.004

often

0.81 [0.48; 1.36]

0.42

1.03 [1.01; 1.04]

<  0.001

1.01 [0.96; 1.06]

0.82

2.34 [1.53; 3.58]

<  0.001

very often

0.38 [0.18; 0.79]

0.009

1.02 [0.99; 1.04]

0.12

1.06 [0.99; 1.13]

0.06

8.81 [3.70; 20.98]

<  0.001

Fried food

never

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

rarely

0.96 [0.65; 1.42]

0.82

1.00 [0.99; 1.01]

0.77

1.03 [0.99; 1.07]

0.08

1.45 [1.06; 1.98]

0.02

sometimes

0.70 [0.44; 1.11]

0.13

0.99 [0.97; 1.00]

0.09

1.07 [1.02; 1.11]

0.005

1.56 [1.05; 2.32]

0.03

often

0.79 [0.41; 1.50]

0.46

0.98 [0.96; 0.99]

0.05

1.09 [1.04; 1.15]

<  0.001

3.90 [2.19; 6.94]

<  0.001

very often

0.35 [0.13; 0.94]

0.04

0.91 [0.84; 0.98]

0.008

0.99 [1.05; 1.21]

0.06

5.13 [1.74; 15.11]

0.003

Hamburgers

never

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

rarely

0.85 [0.58; 1.24]

0.40

0.99 [0.99; 1.01]

0.80

1.05 [1.01; 1.09]

0.01

1.01 [0.75; 1.37]

0.94

sometimes

0.53 [0.35; 0.80]

0.003

0.97 [0.95; 0.98]

<  0.001

1.09 [1.04; 1.13]

<  0.001

2.03 [1.42; 2.92]

<  0.001

often

0.55 [0.32; 0.95]

0.03

0.96 [0.94; 0.98]

<  0.001

1.11 [1.05; 1.16]

<  0.001

2.93 [1.82; 4.72]

<  0.001

very often

0.67 [0.21; 2.11]

0.49

0.94 [0.89; 0.99]

0.02

1.08 [0.98; 1.19]

0.12

7.01 [2.27; 21.63]

<  0.001

Alcohol

never

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

rarely

1.15 [0.78; 1.69]

0.48

1.01 [0.99; 1.02]

0.26

1.02 [0.99; 1.06]

0.21

1.05 [0.77; 1.42]

0.78

sometimes

1.28 [0.82; 1.93]

0.29

1.02 [1.01; 1.04]

<  0.001

0.99 [0.96; 1.04]

0.88

1.37 [0.99; 1.90]

0.06

often

0.71 [0.43; 1.18]

0.18

1.01 [0.99; 1.03]

0.15

1.06 [1.01; 1.11]

0.01

1.70 [1.09; 2.67]

0.02

very often

0.65 [0.29; 1.42]

0.28

1.02 [0.99; 1.04]

0.16

1.07 [0.99; 1.14]

0.08

1.78 [0.86; 3.69]

0.12

Sugary beverages

never

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

rarely

0.75 [0.51; 1.11]

0.15

0.99 [0.97; 0.99]

0.03

1.01 [1.02; 1.09]

0.01

1.20 [0.88; 1.65]

0.25

sometimes

0.59 [0.38; 0.92]

0.02

0.96 [0.94; 0.97]

<  0.001

1.09 [1.04; 1.14]

<  0.001

1.48 [1.01; 2.15]

0.04

often

0.50 [0.28; 0.91]

0.02

0.94 [0.91; 0.96]

<  0.001

1.12 [1.05; 1.18]

<  0.001

2.05 [1.21; 3.46]

0.007

very often

0.44 [0.22; 0.88]

0.02

0.94 [0.90; 0.97]

<  0.001

1.15 [1.08; 1.22]

<  0.001

2.54 [1.31; 4.92]

0.006

Energy drinks

never

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

rarely

0.56 [0.31; 1.03]

0.06

0.98 [0.96; 1.00]

0.12

1.06 [0.99; 1.16]

0.06

1.07 [0.61; 1.87]

0.82

sometimes

1.03 [0.38; 2.84]

0.95

0.93 [0.89; 0.98]

0.0037

1.11 [1.04; 1.19]

0.0036

2.67 [1.13; 6.29]

0.02

often

0.51 [0.19; 1.41]

0.19

0.91 [0.85; 0.97]

0.007

1.10 [1.01; 1.21]

0.04

2.97 [1.01; 1.21]

0.03

very often

0.57 [0.21; 1.54]

0.26

0.93 [0.88; 0.99]

0.02

1.05 [0.95; 1.16]

0.34

2.39 [0.95; 5.97]

0.06

Coffee

never

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

rarely

1.25 [0.70; 2.22]

0.46

1.03 [1.01; 1.05]

0.006

1.04 [0.98; 1.10]

0.18

1.03 [0.65; 1.64]

0.89

sometimes

0.90 [0.57; 1.42]

0.64

1.05 [1.03; 1.07]

<  0.001

1.02 [0.97; 1.08]

0.35

0.82 [0.55; 1.22]

0.32

often

1.21 [0.80; 1.83]

0.38

1.04 [1.03; 1.06]

<  0.001

1.01 [0.97; 1.05]

0.70

1.25 [0.89; 1.73]

0.19

very often

1.19 [0.78; 1.81]

0.42

1.03 [1.01; 1.04]

<  0.001

1.06 [1.02; 1.11]

0.005

2.16 [1.55; 3.02]

<  0.001

  1. aReference = “men”
  2. bOR odds ratio, CI confidence interval
  3. cMultinomial logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, BMI, and being a self-identified stress-eater; p-value <  0.004 is considered as statistically significant
  4. dMultinomial logistic regression analysis adjusted for sex, BMI, and being a self-identified stress-eater; p-value <  0.004 is considered as statistically significant
  5. eMultinomial logistic regression analysis adjusted for sex, age, and being a self-identified stress-eater; p-value <  0.004 is considered as statistically significant
  6. fReference = “self-identified non-stress-eaters”
  7. gMultinomial logistic regression analysis adjusted for sex, age, and BMI; p-value <  0.004 is considered as statistically significant
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