The purpose of this study was to examine whether food craving mediated effects on the relationship between stress and obesity in the elderly population.

A descriptive correlational study was conducted. The participants included 256 elderly who had been attending three geriatric welfare facilities in J city. Data were collected between 9^th and 20^th, July 2018 with a structured questionnaire and body measurement. The measurements included G-FCQ-T, SRI-MF, and BMI. The statistical analysis included t-test, Pearson correlation analysis, Cronbach’s α, and mediation analysis with bootstrapping as recommended by Hayes’ PROCESS macro (2016).

Mean BMI score was 23.95±3.79 kg/m² and the prevalence of obesity was 25.8%. Significant difference were observed in the age (χ²=19.54, p<.001), gender (χ²=13.80, p<.001), education (χ²=7.43, p=.024), number of diseases (χ²=12.69, p=.002), medication (χ²=18.82, p< .001), stress (t=−2.57 p=.011), and food craving (t=−2.63 p=.003). Stress and food craving (r=.50, p<.001), food craving and obesity (r=.23, p<.001), and obesity and stress (r=.28 p<.001) were found to be positively correlated with each other. Food craving was found to mediate the relationship between stress and obesity in the elderly population (B=0.38 (SE=0.19), 95% CI, [0.05, 0.79]).

We need therapeutic intervention with a focus on food craving for weight management in obese elderly people and the development of a nursing intervention to control elderly food craving.