Dietary Behavior, Health Status, and Perceived Stress of University Students

This study was performed to investigate the dietary behaviors, perceived stress, and health-related factors along with their correlations in University students. The number of subjects was 150(64 males and 86 females), and the results of the study were as follows: Stress was felt by over 80% of the male and female students. The male students were more stressed than the females for economic value, gender difference, professor and drinking-related stress factors, and there was a significant difference between the genders. The female students had more clinical symptoms from stress than the male students in terms of dizziness, indigestion and constipation(p<0.01, p<0.001). The amount of food intake under stress was significantly different by gender. The female students preferred sweet tasting items, whereas the male students preferred hot tasting item when under stress. Also the intake of candy and chocolate when under stress in the male and female students was $2.00{\pm}0.74$ and $2.41{\pm}0.75$, respectively. The female students consumed candy and chocolate more than the male(p<0.01). Furthermore, 62.5% of the male students and 30.2% of the female students exercised to get rid of stress: the use of ball games as exercise in male and female students was $1.59{\pm}0.83$, $1.01{\pm}0.11$, respectively. Many students drank alcohol and smoked while under stress. In particular, the male students smoked more than normal as compared to the females, and there was a significant gender difference(p<0.001). The clinical symptoms positively correlated with the life stress level were degree of nervousness, sweaty, achy neck and shoulders, sore back, dizziness, eye fatigue, headache and indigestion. The amount of food intake under stress was positively correlated to the clinical symptom of headache. These results indicate the effects of life stress on dietary behaviors, food choice, and health status. Stress not only changed dietary behaviors, but was also related to health status. Therefore, education with regard to nutrition is necessary if college students are to practice food eating habits to correctly manage life stresses.

대학생의 식행동과 건강 상태 및 스트레스에 관한 연구