The relationship between stress and emotional eating and the intake of foods high in fat and sugar among undergraduate college aged female students

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between stress and emotional eating and the intake of foods high in fat and sugar. The study used a convenience sample of female college students aged 18-24 years. Subjects were recruited from classes in Family and Consumer Sciences. Subjects were asked to complete two questionnaires, The Eating and Appraisal Due to Emotions and Stress questionnaire and a food frequency questionnaire. Results showed that there were no relationships between weight status and stress-related eating (x²=.35, df=3, p=.95) and the ability to cope and weight status (x²=3.27, df=3, p=.35). However, there were significant inverse correlations between ability to cope and combined intake of sweet and salty energy dense foods score (r = -.28, df=92, p=0.01) and between ability to cope and intake of fast food (r = -.21, df=93, p=.04). There was a highly significant positive correlation between intakes of sweet energy-dense foods and salty energy-dense foods (r = .40, df=91, p=.00). The results of this study provided support for the relationship between stress and eating foods high in sugar and fat.Department of Family and Consumer SciencesThesis (M.A.