The effect of university students' nutrition habits and probiotic dairy consumption frequency on anxiety disorder

The main purpose of this study was to determine the dietary habits, probiotic dairy consumption habits of university students and their effects on anxiety disorder. The study was carried out with 484 students from Adnan Menderes University Aydın School of Health, Faculty of Health Sciences and Nursing Faculty. Data were collected by using Personal Information Form, Nutritional Habits and Probiotic Dairy Products Consumption Form and General Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7) Test. P <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Permission was obtained from the ethics committee for conducting the study. It was found that 83.9% of the students participated in the study were female, 16.1% were male, and the average age was 20.56 ± 1.83. Anxiety disorder was found in 62.2%, and 10.1% of them were serious. 47.7% of the students reported that they consumed probiotic dairy products. It was found that using boiled-grilled-steamed method as a cooking method (p=0.007), consuming yogurt every day (p=0.007), frequently consuming green leafy vegetables (p=0.049) and fruit (p=0.006) as factors reducing the risk of anxiety disorder. Severe anxiety disorder was more common among those who consumed fast food every day (p=0,000) and students who reported that they did not consume probiotic dairy products (p=0.008). It was concluded that from this study more than half of the students had anxiety disorder; the consumption of yoghurt, green leafy vegetables, fruits and fast food consumption affects the presence of anxiety. Knowing the nutritional factors that cause anxiety disorder in students will contribute to the identification of risk factors in diagnosis, prevention or reduction of nutritional problems.