Examination of the relationship between anxiety levels and emotional eating behaviors of university students

One of the activities necessary for us to continue our daily life is nutrition. Adequate and balanced nutrition is a prerequisite for a healthy and quality life. Nutritional needs provide satisfaction to the individual both physiologically and psychologically. Individuals can perform different types of eating behaviors under the influence of positive and negative emotions. Emotional eating, which is a psychologically important type of eating, is an individual's overeating for reasons such as stress, depression, anger, and happiness. Emotional eating behavior is an eating behavior that is affected by emotions, but it can also be affected by anxiety. Anxiety is a condition that seriously affects both social life and work life, and it can also have an impact on eating behavior. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between anxiety level and emotional eating behavior. Within the scope of the study, it was also examined whether the level of anxiety and emotional eating behaviors differed according to demographic characteristics. The sample of the study is Kırşehir Ahi Evran University Çiçekdağ Vocational School students (n=438). In this study, data were collected through a questionnaire developed by the anxiety scale developed by Beck et al. (1988) and the emotional eating scale developed by Garaulet et al. (2012). The hypotheses of the study were tested with T-test, Anova test, correlation and regression analysis. As a result of the study, it was determined that the level of anxiety affects emotional eating behavior positively. Accordingly, as the level of anxiety increases, individuals reveal more emotional eating behavior. In addition, men have a higher level of anxiety than women and exhibit emotional eating behavior, 2nd year students have more anxiety than 1st year students, those who live at home with their friends have higher anxiety levels and emotional eating behaviors, their income is equal to their expenses. It has been determined that the emotional eating behavior averages of those with high emotional eating behavior are high. It has been determined that the anxiety levels and emotional eating behavior averages of those in the management and organization department are high, the average of emotional eating behavior is higher than skipping meals, the average of anxiety level of those who have no appetite, and the average of emotional eating behavior of those who have an appetite were found to be higher. anxiety level and emotional eating behavior averages were found to be higher. Key Words: Anxiety, Behavior, Eating Behavior, Emotional Eating Behavior.