Abstract

This study aimed to determine the effect of stress on eating behaviors of the university undergraduates from Kuala Lumpur. One hundred fourteen students completed the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) questionnaire and the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R18 (TFEQ-R18). Data analysis done using SPSS 20.0 included descriptive statistics, parametric statistics, non-parametric statistics, Spearman rho’s correlation and stepwise multiple regression. Majority of the students had medium cognitive restraint (56.1%) and uncontrolled eating scores (69.3%), but low emotional eating score (43.9%). Most students had normal depression level (57.9%) and normal to moderate anxiety (86.9%) and stress level (81.6%). Male (12.92±8.83) and Malay (9.64±6.40) undergraduates had higher depression score (p<0.05). Male (18.17±2.62) and underweight (18.93±2.29) subjects obtained higher cognitive restraint score (p<0.05). There was a significant negative correlation between depression an uncontrolled eating (rs = -0.324, p<0.001, R2 = 0.103, adjusted R2 = 0.095, F (1, 112) = 12.80) and stress and emotional eating (rs = -0.301, p = 0.001). In conclusion depression and stress does affect the uncontrolled eating and emotional eating.

Keywords:

Anxiety, depression, stress, Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R18 (TFEQ-R18), undergraduates,

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