The effect of eating behaviors on physical activity level and body composition among university students

Objective: The primary aim of this study was to examine the relationships among eating behaviors (emotional eating, cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating), physical activity levels, and body composition (BMI, fat percentage) in university students, and to evaluate the effect of gender on these behaviors. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study sample consisted of 162 volunteer students (Male 118, Female 44) enrolled at Kütahya Dumlupınar University. Data were collected using the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-R21) and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) Short Form. Body composition measurements were conducted using Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA). Data analysis employed independent samples t-tests, Pearson Correlation analysis, and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). Results: The mean age of the participants was 21.59±2.09 years, and the mean VKİ was 23.61±3.74. It was determined that the majority of students (52.5%) consumed two or fewer meals per day. In gender comparison, emotional eating scores were significantly higher in females (34.59±28.67) than in males (25.91±19.14) (p=.028). Cognitive restraint scores remained significantly higher in females even when controlling for BMI (p=.016). No significant difference was found in uncontrolled eating scores between genders (p=.751). Correlation analyses showed no statistically significant relationship between the eating behavior subscales and overall physical activity level or general body composition parameters. Conclusion: Despite university students generally exhibiting normal BMI values and moderate-to-high physical activity levels, the heightened tendencies for emotional eating and cognitive restraint, particularly in female students, indicate a psychological risk within this population. Furthermore, the irregular meal consumption observed in over half of the students (52.5%) constitutes a significant risk factor for metabolic health. Keywords: Cognitive Restraint, Emotional Eating, Exercise, Body Mass Index, Uncontrolled Eating