Perceived Stress and Eating Habits among Medical Students

Background: Stress is thought to influence human eating behavior. The aim of this study was to assess the pattern of eating habits and its association with stress among medical students. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted. A self-administered questionnaire was used including questions on socio-demography, anthropometry, and eating habits. Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale was used for stress assessment. Results: A total of 723 students were enrolled with a mean age of 20.6±1.9 years. Skipping breakfast and infrequent daily meals were the most frequent unhealthy habits reported by the students (60.4% and 56.7% respectively), particularly among female students and were significantly associated with higher levels of stress. Stress scores were significantly high among females and those with low family income. Stress- induced eating was significantly more common among female students than males [33.6% vs. 24.4%; OR, 1.63; 95% CI,1.16-2.29; P= 0.001], and it was significantly associated with obesity and overweight. Conclusions: Some unhealthy eating habits particularly skipping breakfast and infrequent daily meals were common among medical students and were associated with stress.