👤 Laura Maenhout

The present study aimed (1) to investigate how food cravings, sedentary behaviour (SB), and physical activity (PA) vary within and between individuals over time in a sample of high-trait food cravers and (2) to investigate within- and between-person associations of SB and PA with food craving (i.e. intensity and type of craved food) in high trait food cravers, thereby exploring the effects in different time intervals preceding the craving. An observational study with a repeated measures design was conducted in 95 high-trait food cravers (19-64 years), consisting of (1) 6-daily smartphone-based Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) questionnaires on food craving and (2) accelerometer data collection for 7 days. Analysis through generalised linear mixed models revealed the importance of focusing on individual fluctuations rather than between-person differences. Higher SB was linked to a lower likelihood of experiencing a craving and lower intensity of the cravings when they did occur. However, the relationship between SB and food cravings may be better explained by emotional, social, or contextual factors linked to the sitting episodes. Higher light physical activity (LPA) was associated with a higher intensity of food cravings indicating a potentially triggering effect. More moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was associated with a decreased likelihood of craving energy-dense foods, suggesting a protective role in unhealthy food choices. These associations varied across different timeframes. Despite the statistical significance of the findings, caution should be exercised when interpreting their practical implications, as they may not translate into substantial changes in everyday behaviour. Given the observational and exploratory nature of the analyses, the findings are intended to be hypothesis-generating rather than confirmatory, with the aim of informing future research. Show less