Patterns of perceived hunger in healthy adults.

Abstract

The purpose of this descriptive correlational study was to examine relationships among the sensations and cognition components of perceived hunger and four contextual correlates: physiological, emotional, environmental, and established patterns. The study examined (1) relationships among the contextual factors and components of perceived hunger, (2) differences between normal weight and overweight individuals in their perception of hunger, and (3) multivariate relationships among contextual factors and perceived hunger. The convenience sample was comprised of 359 healthy adults living in western Canada. The theoretical framework for this study emerged from the global context of the eating experience, specifically the relationship between the constructs of contextual factors and hunger. Physiological context was estimated by body mass index. Instruments used to estimate the concepts, emotional context, environmental context, established patterns, sensations, and cognition were immature instruments. Reliability and validity had been assessed in a pilot study. Statistical analysis of data included descriptive statistics, Pearson Product Moment Correlation, one-way analysis of variance, and stepwise multiple regression techniques. Approximately 58 percent of the variance in the cognitive struggle component of perceived hunger, was accounted for by the intensity of the individual's negative emotions and their degree of adiposity. Other patterns were indicative of trends. The linear composite of negative emotions, environmental factors, and the immediacy component of the established patterns accounted for 22 percent of the variance in the enhancers aspect of cognition. Nineteen percent of the variance in the sensations component was accounted for by the linear composite of the immediacy component of established patterns, environmental context, degree of adiposity, and negative emotions. Both overweight and obese individual's perception of sensations denoting hunger was significantly less intense than those experienced by normal weight individuals. The obese individual's perception of cognitive struggle was significantly more intense than that experienced by underweight, normal weight, or overweight individuals. Overweight individuals experienced cognitive struggle with significantly greater intensity than did underweight individuals. Nurses in clinical settings may use the findings for assessing and formulating nursing interventions related to eating behavior.