Index of healthy eating and emotional eating in relation to psychological inflexibility in dance students

Dance places significant physical and cognitive demands on both students and professionals. These demands increase dancers’ susceptibility to a variety of problems. Between them, the prevalence of eating disorders in dancers of various dance genres is significant. In this context, emotional eating is a common problem among people struggling with weight issues. On the other hand, a construct that has been shown to be relevant is Psychological inflexibility. Psychological flexibility refers to the possibility of fully embracing unpleasant private events in the present, without attempting to modify them. The aim of this paper is to determine the different components of emotional eating and the healthy eating index as a function of psychological inflexibility in dance students. This was a cross-sectional study using non-probabilistic sampling. One hundred fourteen dance students enrolled in conservatories or dance schools participated in the study. Evaluations were conducted using the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire, the Healthy Eating Index for the Spanish population, and the Eating and Appraisal Due to Emotions and Stress Questionnaire. Data were collected in person and online format. No differences in psychological inflexibility were observed between men and women. While women showed greater utilization of food to regulate emotions, they did not differ from men in scores on the healthy eating index. Students with high psychological inflexibility reported greater utilization of food as a regulator of emotions. No differences were found in healthy eating according to psychological inflexibility. It is recommended to transform dance conservatories into healthy spaces by promoting habits that facilitate students’ well-being. Faculties can help in the pursuit of excellence by aligning performance goals with research findings and improving holistic care.