Analysis of eating behavior, body mass index and level of stress in medical students
https://doi.org/10.21045/2782-1676-2025-5-4-114-121
Abstract
Introduction. Today, overweight is an important problem not only for healthcare, but also for the whole society. Many factors are involved in the development of obesity, including stress, which occurs as a response to external and internal influences. In this paper, stress is considered as one of the mechanisms for changing eating behavior and body weight. The study included medical students who experience high emotional stress associated with a busy study schedule and a large amount of studied material. The purpose of the study is to study the peculiarities of eating behavior and the emotional and psychological state of medical students, as well as to identify a possible relationship between stress levels and body mass index of students. Materials and methods. The participants’ height and body weight indicators were analyzed; 322 medical university students participated in the survey conducted with the use of the Reeder questionnaire, aimed at determining the level of psychological stress, and the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ). The data was processed using Microsoft Excel 2019 and PASW Statistics 22 software. Results. Female students were more likely to have low body weight, while males were more likely to be overweight. At the same time, stress levels were found to be higher among females. Studying is the main stress factor for medical students and can lead to eating disorders, in particular, to a decrease in the desire to eat when irritated, while anxiety, concern and tension do not have a significant impact on a person’s attitude to food intake. Rank correlation coefficient showed no association between stress levels and BMI among students (ρ=0,013). Conclusion. A statistically significant difference was found between the level of BMI and the frequency of desire to eat when irritated. However, there was no statistically significant difference in the emotional status of respondents with low, normal and high BMI.
Supporting agencies: the study had no sponsorship.
About the Authors
D. P. Solodukhina
Kursk State Medical University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Dina P. Solodukhina – Grand PhD in Sociological sciences, associate professor, Master of Public Health, associate professor of Department of Public Health, Health Care Organization and Health Economics of the Institute of Continuing Education
Kursk
V. S. Kuzminov
Kursk State Medical University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Vladislav S. Kuzminov – 6th year student of medical faculty
Kursk
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For citations:
Solodukhina D. ., Kuzminov V. . Analysis of eating behavior, body mass index and level of stress in medical students. Public Health. 2025;5(4):114-121. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.21045/2782-1676-2025-5-4-114-121
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