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. 2024 Oct 9:12:1466700.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1466700. eCollection 2024.

The relationship between stress, anxiety and eating behavior among Chinese students: a cross-sectional study

Yulin Chai  1 , Guoqi Fu  1 , Yanxu Liu  1 , Qi Song  1 , Cailing Xue  1 , Sheng Luo  1
Affiliations

The relationship between stress, anxiety and eating behavior among Chinese students: a cross-sectional study

Yulin Chai et al. Front Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: The expansion of higher education and the growing number of college students have led to increased awareness of mental health issues such as stress, anxiety, and eating disorders. In China, the educational system and cultural expectations contribute to the stress experienced by college students. This study aims to clarify the role of anxiety as a mediator in the relationship between stress and eating behaviors among Chinese college students.

Methods: This study utilized data from the 2021 Psychology and Behavior Investigation of Chinese Residents, which included 1,672 college students under the age of 25. The analysis methods comprised descriptive statistics, t-tests, Pearson correlation analyses, and mediation effect analysis.

Results: The findings indicate that Chinese college students experience high levels of stress, with long-term stress slightly exceeding short-term stress. Both types of stress were positively correlated with increased anxiety and the adoption of unhealthy eating behaviors. Anxiety was identified as a significant mediator, accounting for 28.3% of the relationship between long-term stress and eating behavior (95% CI = 0.058-0.183). The mediation effect of short-term stress on eating behavior through anxiety was also significant, explaining 61.4% of the total effect (95% CI = 0.185-0.327).

Conclusion: The study underscores the importance of stress management and mental health services for college students. It recommends a comprehensive approach to reducing external pressures, managing anxiety, and promoting healthy eating behaviors among college students. Suggestions include expanding employment opportunities, providing career guidance, enhancing campus and societal support for holistic development, strengthening mental health services, leveraging artificial intelligence technologies, educating on healthy lifestyles, and implementing targeted health promotion programs.

Keywords: anxiety; college student; eating behavior; health psychology; stress.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Mediating model of the effect of stress on eating behavior among college students.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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