Abstract
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on stress and eating behaviours. This study aims to determine the relationship between stress, emotional eating, and food choices among university students during the Covid-19. A total of 273 university students participated in this cross-sectional study. Online self-administered questionnaires were used to determine the stress intensity, emotional eating, and eating behaviours. All statistical analyses were performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Almost half (49.8%) of the participants experienced high stress. In males, the high-stress group consumed sweets or sugars more frequently than the low-stress group (p<0.05). In females, the high-stress group consumed more sweets or sugar and cakes or cookies but less milk products and fresh fruits than the low-stress group (p<0.05). Students with higher negative emotion scores consumed less cooked vegetables (r=-0.133; p<0.05) whereas students with higher positive emotion scores consumed more fast food (r=0.208; p<0.001), sweets or sugar (r=0.139; p<0.05) and cakes or cookies (r=0.139; p<0.05). Body Mass Index (BMI) was positively correlated with negative emotions (r=0.134; p<0.05), negative situations (r=0.161; p<0.01), and total negative Emotional Appetite Questionnaire (EMAQ) scores (r=0.168; p<0.01). In conclusion, Covid-19 brings negative impact on stress. University students shifted food preferences from healthy foods to palatable foods and this could result in adverse health outcomes. Therefore, stress management interventions and nutrition education should be implemented to reduce stress and overcome stress-induced eating behaviour among private university students during the Covid-19.
Highlights
The Covid-19 pandemic has dramatically increased stress and anxiety for many people around the world (Pfefferbaum & North, 2020)
The present study examined the relationship between stress, emotional eating, and food consumption among university students in Malaysia during the Covid-19
The prevalence of stress among private university students were at an alarming rate, which required attention
Summary
The Covid-19 pandemic has dramatically increased stress and anxiety for many people around the world (Pfefferbaum & North, 2020). Stress is a situation whereby an individual appraises as overwhelming or threatening that would affect homeostasis (Monroe & Cummins, 2015). In recent years there has been growing interest in the effects of prolonged stress on health. It has been well established that stress affects individuals’ health through the physiological process and by altering lifestyle habits including physical activity, smoking, and dietary behaviours (Vollrath, 2001). Human studies have proven inconsistent effects on food intake patterns; leading to either hyperphagia or hypophagia (Oliver, Wardle & Gibson, 2000; Wardle et al, 2000). Stress has been reported to alter eating behaviours, redirecting food choices to food with high palatability and calorie (Barrington et al, 2014; Torres & Nowson, 2007; Wardle et al, 2000).
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