Objective:
This study aimed to assess the pattern of eating habits and identify its association with stress among medical students compared to other majors at Taif University.
Methods:
A cross-sectional survey targeted 411 students from different colleges at Taif University, Saudi Arabia. The data were collected by a self-administered online survey, which included questions on sociodemographic characteristics, eating habits during times of stress, and the perceptions of students towards their academic performance and the stress they faced during the year.
Results:
The mean Salzburg Stress Eating Scale (SSES) score was found to be 2.43 ±1.1, where about 17.5% and 2.7% participants ate more than usual and much more than usual, respectively. When feeling nervous and stressed, the mean SSES was 2.18 ± 1.2, where most students (69.8%) ate less. The mean SSES was found to be significantly higher for students in the College of Medicine and Surgery (24.6 ± 8.57) than in other colleges (22.23 ± 7.14), p=0.003. Also, the Educational Stress Scale (ESS) was found to be significantly higher among students in the College of Medicine and Surgery (44.54 ± 9.0) than in other colleges (42.27 ± 9.36), p=0.013.
Conclusion:
Students in Medicine and Surgery College had higher scores in both ESS and SSES than other students’ colleges.
Key words: Educational stress, eating disorder, medical students, specialties, Saudi Arabia.
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