Research on eating behavior under the challenging conditions of space missions is sparse. Pre-existing eating styles may make it challenging to endure the monotonous and texture-poor food selection during space missions. The aim of this study was to examine craving for high-calorie foods during an analog space mission, and to examine the moderating effects of eating styles. We hypothesized that craving would increase over time and that three eating styles: emotional eating, external eating, and uncontrollable eating, would contribute to greater craving.
International volunteers who participated in nine 14-day analog space missions in Lunares (Piła, Poland) between May 2022 and June 2023 completed questionnaires at three timepoints: (1) pre-flight (n=49), (2) day 7 (n=48), (3) day 13 (n=45). Questionnaires included the Food Craving Inventory (FCI-International version), Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ), Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ).
Craving decreased over time (Day-7: β=-0.50, p<.001; day-13, β= –0.29, p<.001). Emotional eating moderated the change in craving: higher emotional‐eating scores attenuated the overall decline in craving at Day-7 (β=-0.22, p=.001) and day-13 (β=–0.17, p=.019). Similar effects were found for external eating: Day-7 (β=–0.23, p=.001) and day-13 (β=–0.14, p=.043). Uncontrollable eating was also a significant moderator: those with higher scores demonstrated a rebound in craving at day-7 (β=0.19, p=.009) and day-13 (β=0.16, p=.022).
Although the effects of time on craving were contrary to expectations, maladaptive eating styles were associated with a craving for high-calorie foods under conditions of deprivation. Individuals with those eating styles might have particular difficulties with long space missions.