Stress Associated Alterations in Dietary Behaviours of Undergraduate Students of Qassim University, Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND: Psychological stress associated eating habits among public health have now become a global concern. AIM: This study was undertaken to investigate the levels of psychological stress among undergraduate students of Qassim University and to explore the stress associated alterations in their eating habits. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional survey conducted on 614 undergraduate students of Qassim University, Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire was used, which included questions on socio-demography and eating habits. Level of stress was measured by a standardised questionnaire highlights the levels of non-chronic stimulation through difficulty relaxing, nervous arousal and being easily upset/agitated, irritable / over-reactive and impatient. RESULTS: Our results show that 28.2% of total participants suffered from some extent of stress. Among stressed participants, 17.3%, 49.1%, 24.8% and 8.7% of participants suffered from mild, moderate, severe and extremely severe stress, respectively. Stressed participants were more preferred to eat junk foods such as fast foods, snacks and beverages as compared with unstressed participants (p < 0.05) and the junk food preference was increased with the increase of stress levels. Moreover, non-stressed participants preferred more healthy foods such as vegetarian food, fresh fruits as compared with stressed participants (p < 0.05). Taste and easy to access were the main reasons for the preference of junk foods by the stressed participants. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first comprehensive study from Saudi Arabia to show stress associated dietary alterations in undergraduates of Qassim University. Data concluded that most of the young adults followed a healthy eating pattern, but a significant number from them were affected by stress. Therefore, specific intervention programs are strongly recommended for the reduction of stress and to improve their quality of life.