Examination of the relationship between anxiety level in exam period and nutrition behaviors in university students

The fact that anxiety caused by exam stress triggers malicious eating behavior in individuals and makes this behavior a lifestyle of the individual is an essential risk for obesity and other related comorbidities. The main goal of this dissertation was to determine the degree of anxiety levels among university students relevant to the exam and the impact of this anxiety on eating behaviors based on the level of nutritional awareness. This thesis was conducted with 90 participants who are first and third-year undergraduate students studying at Yeditepe University Nutrition and Dietetics department. The data collection process consists of two stages. At the first stage of the data collection, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was used to assess students' state and trait anxiety levels, and 24-hour dietary recall was used to determine the nutrition status of the students. Also, demographic information was collected using a structured questionnaire, including personal and health information. The second stage of the data collection includes the State Anxiety Inventory that is used to determine the state anxiety level of the students, Westside Test Anxiety Scale that is used to determine exam anxiety level of the students, and 24-hour dietary recall used to determine the nutrition status of the students. In the light of this study, it was found that there was an increase in psychological stress levels in university students due to the exam, but the increased exam stress did not have a statistically significant effect on eating habits in terms of calorie consumption. In addition, it was found that there was a statistically significant decrease in the number of meals of the students during the exam period compared to the pre-exam period. When the first and third grades were compared, there was no statistically significant difference in nutrition. In conclusion, while the exam period caused an increase in anxiety levels among university students, the number of meals decreased, but no calorie-based change was detected.