THE EFFECT OF ANXIETY EXPERIENCED IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC UPON EMOTIONAL EATING

Abstract

Aims: Individuals may consume more food than normal in response to negative emotions such as anxiety or irritability. One of the eating problems in which this food is consumed is defi ned as emotional eating, and emotional eating is an eating disorder that describes the tendency to overeat in response to negative emotions. The study was carried out to analyze the effect of anxiety due to the COVID-19 pandemic upon emotional eating in university students. Methods: This descriptive research was conducted in May-June 2020 with 718 students who continue their university education in Turkey, have internet access and volunteer to participate in the research. Data were collected by snowball method by sending the survey link via Whatsapp groups. Data were collected online using the Descriptive Questionnaire, the State Anxiety Scale and the Emotional Eating Scale. The participant’s statement was taken as a basis for the measurement values of body weight and height. Ethical principles were observed at all stages of the study. Results: Totally 718 university students including 136 (18.9%) males and 582 (81.1%) females with a mean age of 21.51±7.08 participated into the study. The total score average of the Emotional Eating Scale was found to be 47.30±20.63. It was determined that the average score of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was 40.24 ± 5.72, and 46.7% of the students had low, 52.6% had medium and 0.7% had high level anxiety. A weakly positive signifi cant relationship was revealed between the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory score and Emotional Eating Scale score (r=0.160, p<0.01). Conclusions: It was concluded that university students were anxious at different levels during the COVID-19 pandemic, and their anxiety affected emotional eating.