Risks of Food Addiction and Its Components of Dependence on Food Consumption in Adult Patients with Hypertension in Southwest of Khuzestan, Iran

Consumption of some foods can include addictive potentials. Hypertension and excessive consumption of these foods are associated with addictive eating behaviors. The present study investigated prevalence of food addiction and its components in adults with and without hypertension.

In this study, 96 individuals with and without hypertension (n = 48 in each group) referring to the medical training centers of Abadan University of Medical Sciences, 2021, were participated using simple random sampling method. Weight and height were measured and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Food addiction and its components were assessed using Yale food addiction questionnaire 2.0. Descriptive statistics and independent sample T-test were used for data analysis and logistic regression model was used to assess risks of food addiction and its components.

The food addiction score and its components were significantly higher in participants with hypertension, compared to the control group (p ≤ 0.001). Hypertensive participants had a 6.2-time higher risk of food addiction, compared to non-hypertensive ones.

This study showed that participants with hypertension had higher scores of food addiction and its components, compared to non-hypertensive participants. Furthermore, risks of food addiction increased in participants with hypertension, compared to non-hypertensive ones.