Association of Perceived Stress and Symptoms of Depression with Eating Patterns among Students in a University in Delhi: A Cross-sectional Study
Abstract
Introduction: The most common health problem among university
students is stress and hence a few symptoms of depression are quite
frequently observed among them. Depression can negatively affect
one’s ability to work, study, eat, sleep and even enjoy life.
Objective: To assess perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and eating
patterns among college students and to assess the association of eating
patterns with depressive symptoms and perceived stress
Methodology: The current cross-sectional study was conducted for
college students who were studying in eight different departments
of Jamia Hamdard, Delhi from October 2021 to February 2022. The
sample size was 183. PSS was used for the assessment of stress and
depressive symptoms were assessed using BDI.
Results: The study findings revealed that more than half of the college
students (66%) were found to have a moderate level of perceived stress
while 29% had low perceived stress and only 5% of the students had
high perceived stress. Most of the college students (56%) had minimal
depressive symptoms, 19% had mild depressive symptoms, 12% had
moderate depressive symptoms, and 13% had severe depressive
symptoms. It was also seen that 95% of college students had unhealthy
eating patterns and only 5% had healthy eating patterns. The present
study revealed a significant association between eating patterns and
perceived stress. There was no statistically significant association
between the eating patterns and depressive symptoms.
Conclusion: From the above observation, we concluded that a great
number of students were following an unhealthy eating pattern and a
healthy eating pattern can reduce the level of perceived stress among
college students.
How to cite this article:
Shankar C, Rani S, Kaushik A. Association of
Perceived Stress and Symptoms of Depression
with Eating Patterns among Students in a
University in Delhi: A Cross-sectional Study.
Chettinad Health City Med J. 2023;12(3):35-40.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2278.2044.202348
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