Evaluation of the relationship between food addiction and depression, anxiety, and stress in university students: A cross-sectional survey

Purpose

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between food addiction (FA) and depression, anxiety, and stress (DAS) in university students.

Design and Methods

The research was conducted with 362 university students who met the study criteria and volunteered to participate in the study. The study data were collected using a personal information form, the modified Yale food addiction scale 2.0 (mYFAS 2.0), and the depression, anxiety, and stress scale (DASS-21).

Findings

It was determined that 40% of the students participating in the study had FA. The mean score of students with FA on the DASS-21 scale was determined as 25.90 ± 14.56 and the scores they received from the anxiety, depression, and stress subdimension as (8.14 ± 5.57, 9.04 ± 5.46, 8.72 ± 5.60, respectively). The scores of students without FA from the anxiety, depression, and stress subdimension, where the mean score of the DASS-21 scale is 14.79 ± 12.72, were determined as (4.67 ± 4.48, 4.98 ± 4.96, 5.13 ± 5.05, respectively). It was found that the mean scores of participants with FA were higher than those without FA, and the difference between the groups was determined statistically significant (p < 0.05).

Practice Implications

The rates of DAS of students with FA were found to be higher compared to those without FA. In the treatment of FA in clinical services, nurses and other health professionals should identify and treat psychiatric comorbidities associated with FA, such as depression and anxiety.