Self-Regulation of Eating Behaviors Among Young Women Nurses and Nursing Students: Its Relationship With Eating Habits

Abstract

The primary aim of this study is to adapt the Self-Regulation of Eating Behavior Questionnaire (SREBQ) to the Turkish culture among young women nurses and nursing students. The secondary aim is to investigate the factors associated with self-regulation of eating behavior in this population. The sample consisted of 773 young women nurses and nursing students who were included in the study between June and July 2024. In accordance with the first aim of the study, the construct validity of the SREBQ instrument was confirmed through EFA. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the SREBQ was found to be 0.78. There were very low positive correlations between the SREBQ score and the SRS (r = 0.252) and TREQ-CR (r = 0.136) scores, as well as low negative correlations with the TREQ-EE (r = -0.355) and TREQ-UE (r = -0.406) scores (p < 0.001). The 5-item SREBQ has been found to be a valid and reliable instrument for the population of young women nurses and nursing students in the Turkish language. The results indicate that as self-regulation of eating behavior increases in this population, overall self-regulation skills improve, while disordered eating behaviors decrease.