Perceived stress and eating behavior among residents in a teaching hospital

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to estimate the association between perceived stress and eating behavior among residents in a tertiary teaching hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A total of 305 residents were invited from seven major specialties in King Saud University Medical City to participate in this cross-sectional study, and among them, 214 completed the questionnaire between April 2019 and January 2020. The questionnaire evaluated stress and eating behavior using the 4-item Perceived Stress Scale and Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire, respectively. Moreover, items related to socio-demographic data, weekend coverage per month, night duties per month, fast food, snacks, and vegetables and fruits intake were included. RESULTS: We found a weak positive correlation at the significance level (P < 0.05) between the level of stress and both the clearly labeled emotions (0.184) and emotional eating (0.171). Furthermore, there was a significant effect of specialty, Wilk’s Lambda =0.858, F (30, 814) =1.062, P = 0.030. Among residents who performed 4 to 6-night duties per month, a significant correlation existed between stress and abnormal eating behaviors. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrated a positive correlation between stress, night duties, and abnormal eating behaviors. Furthermore, the results suggested unhealthy dietary habits and food choices among residents.