Differences in Daily Food Intake and Body Mass Index between Stressed and Unstressed University Students

Stress adversely affects health through direct biological and indirect behavioural changes, including in young adults. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the variation between body mass index (BMI), and daily food, energy and nutrient intakes among Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin students according to their stress levels. A total of 221 eligible students aged 18–29 years were recruited. Data were collected using a validated self-administered Malay-language questionnaire as follows: sociodemographic, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales 21 questionnaire, and semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire. Weight and height were also measured using standard procedures. Data were analysed using independent samples t-test and Mann-Whitney U test. Overall, 39% of the students experienced stress; 26% and 18% were overweight and obese, respectively. The average daily energy intake (TEI) for male and female students was 2,992±1,063 kcal and 2,352±1,002 kcal, respectively. Approximately 63% and 88% of the students met their recommended daily intake of carbohydrates and protein, respectively. The majority of respondents did not achieve 25–30% of TEI for fat (70%) and had excess sugar (77%) and sodium (66%). The top 10 foods consumed daily were rice (97%), chicken (68%), table sugar (57%), green leafy vegetables (44%), candy/chocolate (30%), hen eggs (29%), tea (19%), marine fish (18%), apple (16%), and condensed milk (13%). There were significantly higher years of degree education (2.2±1.1 years vs. 1.7±1.0 years, p=0.003) and BMI (24.3±6.3 kg/m² vs. 22.6±4.7 kg/m², p=0.021) among stressed students compared to their peers. Stressed students consumed more pizza (Z=2.16; p=0.031), sausage/hotdog/frankfurter (Z=2.35; p=0.019), chicken/meat balls (Z=2.10; p=0.035), cake (Z=2.95; p=0.003), peanut butter (Z=2.37; p=0.018), and bean sprouts (Z=2.31; p=0.021) than their peers. However, a comparison among stressed and unstressed students revealed no significant differences in energy, carbohydrates, protein, fat, sodium, and sugar intake. This study shows that stressed students had a higher tendency to consume energy-dense food (i.e. fast foods, peanut butter and cakes) compared with unstressed students. A more detailed study is warranted to determine the personal dietary behaviours of stress eaters.