Medical Technology and Public Health Journal
Vol 10 No 2 (2026): Medical Technology and Public Health Journal September 2026

Correlation of Depression Levels and Emotional Eating Behavior with Energy Intake in Elderly

Paramita Viantry (Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Surabaya)
Nabila Putri Azzahra (Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Surabaya)



Article Info

Publish Date
20 Oct 2026

Abstract

The increasing number of elderly people in Indonesia presents various challenges, especially in the areas of physical and mental health. One of the common issues that often arises is depression and changes in eating behavior, which have the potential to affect daily energy intake. Older adults with unstable psychological conditions tend to experience disruptions in their eating patterns, including decreased appetite or increased food consumption as a response to negative emotions. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between depression levels and emotional eating behavior with energy intake among elderly individuals at Paguyuban Lansia Srikandi, Kelurahan Kapasari, Surabaya.The study employed an analytic observational design with a cross-sectional approach. A total of 69 elderly respondents were selected using a simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ), and a Repeated 24-Hour Food Recall form over three days (two weekdays and one weekend). The data were analyzed using univariate and bivariate methods with the Spearman Rank test.The results showed that some elderly respondents experienced mild to severe depression (49.3%) and exhibited high levels of emotional eating behavior (50.7%). Additionally, 44.9% of the elderly were recorded as having insufficient energy intake. The conclusion of this study is that there is a significant relationship between the level of depression and energy intake, with a p-value of 0.016, and also a significant relationship between emotional eating and energy intake, with a p-value of 0.004. It is recommended that older adults receive ongoing psychological support and nutrition education to prevent nutritional problems caused by emotional instability. Keywords: elderly, depression level, emotional eating behavior, energy intake

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Journal Info

Abbrev

MTPHJ

Publisher

Subject

Environmental Science Health Professions Nursing Public Health

Description

Medical Technology and Public Health Journal with registered number ISSN 2549-189X (printed) and e-ISSN 2549-2993 (online) is a scientific open access journal published by Health Faculty, Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Surabaya, Indonesia. Our journal aims to become a media of research results ...