Date of Conferral

8-7-2024

Date of Award

August 2024

Degree

Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.)

School

Psychology

Advisor

Matthew Howren

Abstract

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) impacted the world at an alarming rate, including the United States, near the end of 2019. Uncertainty, fear, anxiety, and unanswered questions spread rapidly with COVID-19. The media shared the most devastating outcomes of the virus while the harsh reality of fear and unknowns seemed to stop life as people knew it and began what seemed to be a new normal with social isolation and home confinement. This quantitative correlational study examined whether fear of contracting COVID-19 was associated with coping and self-regulation of eating behaviors. Lazarus’s transactional theory of stress and coping provided the framework for the study. Survey data were collected from 190 participants to identify relationships between fear, social isolation, coping, and self-regulation of eating behaviors. Findings from multiple regression analysis indicated that effective self-regulation can mitigate negative coping strategies and support positive eating behaviors, reinforcing the need for interventions aimed at enhancing self-regulation skills to improve public health outcomes. Findings suggest that self-regulation education programs could enhance overall well-being of society.

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