Evaluation of emotional eating behaviors and emotional appetite of college students

Emotions are the leading predictor of eating habits as much as it is to our behaviors. Eating behaviors and habits are largely affected by a person's emotional status. College starts off right after the childhood period and is the first step towards adulthood. This phase encompasses a time period where a person leaves their family and starts to make independent decisions. However they are also largely affected by external factors which in return start of a new dietary behavior. This study aims to evaluate the emotional eating behaviors and emotional appetite of college students. This is a quantitative study where a relational screening model was carried out. The population of the study are students of Cankiri Karatekin University. 200 female and 200 male students aged between 18-22 who reside in the college dormitory were chosen as the sample of the study. Demographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, emotional appetites (Emotional Appetite Questionnaire) and emotional eating behaviors (Emotional Eating Scale) data of the participants were evaluated. To determine the relationship between the Emotional Eating Scale and the Emotional Appetite Questionnaire, a correlation analysis was performed and a pearson correlation coefficient was obtained. In accordance to gender and satisfaction with their current weight, one-way analysis of variance and independent group T test were used to analyze their effect on eating behaviors. The affect of emotional eating behaviors of girls and boys on their emotional appetites was examined by establishing regression models. The evaluation of data obtained within this study revealed that according to the emotional state of the participants, their eating behavior changed dramatically and there were various subgroups to these behaviors such as eating in tension situations, control against eating and stimulus in order to deal with negative emotions. When specifically evaluating negative emotions' effect on eating behaviors there was a statistically significant result. It was determined that all of the sub-dimensions of the emotional eating scale of the participants differed significantly by gender. There was a statistically significant result as well when the subjects' eating habits during anxious periods, dealing with negative emotions and control against eating were evaluated against their satisfaction of their current weight. The participants were also evaluated for changes in their emotional appetites (Emotional Appetite Questionnaire) compared to their satisfaction of their current weight along with negative emotions and its sub-dimensions where a statistically significant result was also obtained. In short, this study aimed to enlighten the effect of emotion on eating behaviors of college students and the data obtained here within revealed statistically significant results when these parameters were evaluated and compared. Going to college starts of a new time frame in the lives of all students and emotions are a main determinant in this period of time along with many other factors. Keywords: Emotion, appetite, emotion eating behavior, dietary habits