Abstract

FERNANDES, Sheyla C.S; MARINHO, Ana Carolina  and  COSTA, Julio da. Analysis of Beliefs about Binge Eating Behavior from the Theory of Planned Action. NTQR [online]. 2023, vol.18, e909.  Epub Nov 30, 2023. ISSN 2184-7770.  https://doi.org/10.36367/ntqr.18.2023.e909.

An episode of binge eating (BE) is characterized by eating a larger amount of food than most people would consume under similar conditions, in a given period. Therefore, this study aims to analyze binge eating behavior by answering two central questions: (1) What beliefs favor binge eating behavior and (2) What beliefs hinder binge eating behavior. To this end, the Theory of Planned Action will be used as a theoretical and methodological contribution, which, in addition to providing us with instruments that can assess this behavior, can contribute to the development of interventions aimed at preventing and improving the physical and mental health of people who carry out this practice. 80 participants answered a semi-structured questionnaire online about beliefs about binge eating behavior. Data were organized and analyzed using the IRAMUTEQ software, which allows presenting the content of beliefs through relationships between categories of thoughts and their most frequent forms. Beliefs that portray feelings associated with BE were identified; the assistance that people in this context receive; the negative aspects of behavior; the reasons that lead to the practice of BE; and the factors that facilitate the performance of the behavior. The findings of this study suggest the importance of interventions that encompass the relevance of: 1) assessment that individuals have of the behavior of BE; 2) the individual, motivational and emotional factors that favor the practice of this behavior; 3) the perception of individuals regarding the external pressure to carry out this action. The use of IRAMUTEQ proved to be extremely relevant for the construction of the results, since from the organization of the repertoires of beliefs in classes and their connections, it was possible to establish a dialogue between the theoretical basis of the investigation and the conclusions pointed out in the study.

Keywords : Binge eating; Theory of Planned behavior; Binge Eating Disorder.

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