Banca de DEFESA: JULIANA MIRANDA PEREIRA

Uma banca de DEFESA de DOUTORADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : JULIANA MIRANDA PEREIRA
DATE: 20/02/2026
TIME: 14:00
LOCAL: Videoconferência
TITLE:

WHAT IS COMFORT FOOD? AN ANALYSIS OF THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE

KEY WORDS:

Eating Behavior; Comfort Food; Dimensions of the Concept.

PAGES: 142
BIG AREA: Ciências Humanas
AREA: Psicologia
SUMMARY:

Human eating behavior is a complex phenomenon shaped by the interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors. The consumption of comfort food exemplifies this complexity since it is not consumed to satisfy hunger but rather to provoke specific emotional and psychological sensations and to mediate social bonds. Despite its relevance, there is still no consensus on a definition of comfort food in the literature. Thus, this thesis aims to clarify and deepen the understanding of comfort food by analyzing its concept, the contexts in which it is used, the foods that comprise this category, and the factors associated with its consumption. The results are presented in three articles. The first study is divided into two articles: a protocol and a scope review. These articles aim to clarify the scientific definition of comfort food by examining how the concept has been understood and in which contexts it is used. They also aim to identify the predominant methodological designs in research on the topic and analyze the factors associated with the consumption of these foods. This analysis is based on the systematic mapping of available scientific documents. The protocol's development was guided by the acronym PCC (Population, Concept, Context): General population, comfort food as a concept, and global context. Research questions and objectives were established; the study's feasibility was assessed; inclusion and exclusion criteria were defined; sources of information were identified; and search strategies were developed. The protocol was then registered in the Open Science Framework (OSF) and developed and published in a specialized journal. After the protocol stage, a scoping review was conducted. During this stage, data were searched and exported, screened by reading the titles and abstracts, and screened by reading the documents in full and extracting data. Then, the data were analyzed, and the results were presented and discussed. The results showed methodological and contextual heterogeneity and factors associated with the consumption of these foods. Analyzing the elements that comprise the concept revealed two macro dimensions: Hedonic and Eudaimonic. This led to the proposal of an integrative concept for this food category. The second study was a secondary investigation that used data extracted from the scope review. It characterized the identified comfort foods according to their frequency in the literature, the adopted concept dimensions, and the sources of information. It also analyzed the similarities and differences in comfort food repertoires between the adopted concept dimensions and sources of information. Additionally, it analyzed whether the comfort food dimensions that are part of the study's guiding concept differ according to the source of information. The food repertoire of researchers and the hedonic dimension were found to be more restricted, while participants, reviews, and the eudaimonic and hybrid dimensions showed greater diversity. Regarding similarity, low overlap and high exclusivity were observed between the groups. Furthermore, significant variation was observed in the dimensions according to the source of information. This thesis establishes itself as an organizing framework for knowledge about this food category, filling conceptual gaps and providing a foundation for future research. Its main contributions include proposing a comfort food concept and indicating the need to reformulate research in this area by explicitly incorporating its hedonic and eudaimonic dimensions.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Interna - 1350337 - FIVIA DE ARAUJO LOPES
Externa ao Programa - 2926958 - FERNANDA DA FONSECA FREITAS - UFRNExterna ao Programa - 1806446 - THAIZ MATTOS SUREIRA - UFRNExterna à Instituição - CYBELLE ROLIM DE LIMA
Externa à Instituição - KARINE BRITO BECK DA SILVA MAGALHÃES