Psychological processes connecting childhood emotional abuse and healthy eating in university students

Background: Childhood emotional abuse (CEA) has been associated with various psychological difficulties and health-related behaviors, yet its relationship with healthy eating among university students remains insufficiently explored. This study aimed to examine the association between childhood emotional abuse and healthy eating among university students and to further test the mediating roles of depression and subjective wellbeing (SWB). Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was employed, and participants were recruited using a convenience sampling method from several universities in China. A total of 3,007 university students participated. Measurement tools included the Childhood Emotional Abuse Scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2) for depression, a single-item SWB scale, and the Healthy Eating Scale. Results: Correlational analyses showed that childhood emotional abuse was positively associated with depression and negatively associated with both SWB and healthy eating. Depression was negatively related to SWB and healthy eating, while SWB was positively related to healthy eating. Further chain mediation analyses indicated that depression and SWB partially mediated the association between childhood emotional abuse and healthy eating. Conclusion: These findings suggest that considering early adverse experiences and psychological states among university students may help explain the mechanisms underlying healthy eating behaviors. Interventions aimed at reducing depressive symptoms and enhancing SWB may contribute to promoting healthier eating behaviors among university students.