The relationship between stress and emotional eating and the intake of foods high in fat and sugar among undergraduate college aged female students
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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between stress and emotional eating and the intake of foods high in fat and sugar. The study used a convenience sample of female college students aged 18-24 years. Subjects were recruited from classes in Family and Consumer Sciences. Subjects were asked to complete two questionnaires, The Eating and Appraisal Due to Emotions and Stress questionnaire and a food frequency questionnaire. Results showed that there were no relationships between weight status and stress-related eating (x²=.35, df=3, p=.95) and the ability to cope and weight status (x²=3.27, df=3, p=.35). However, there were significant inverse correlations between ability to cope and combined intake of sweet and salty energy dense foods score (r = -.28, df=92, p=0.01) and between ability to cope and intake of fast food (r = -.21, df=93, p=.04). There was a highly significant positive correlation between intakes of sweet energy-dense foods and salty energy-dense foods (r = .40, df=91, p=.00). The results of this study provided support for the relationship between stress and eating foods high in sugar and fat.