Anxiety and eating behavior of students from different areas of a University of southern catarinense

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the relationship between anxiety and eating in students from different areas of graduation at a University in Southern Santa Catarina. Method: The research took place during the first semester of 2023. To obtain data, a questionnaire was prepared by the responsible researchers via Google Forms ®. Questions were asked about the students' socioeconomic conditions, state of anxiety, eating habits, data such as weight and height, and information about eating behavior. Results: A sample of 85 university students from the three undergraduate areas surveyed was observed. A questionnaire was applied to verify the nutritional status of students, issues related to anxiety, as well as food, eating behavior and compulsive eating. It was identified that 58.82% (n=50) of the BMI of university students was adequate/eutrophic, 78.82% (n=67) felt anxious in their daily lives and 82.35% (n=70) reported that anxiety is related to compulsive eating. Conclusion: It is concluded that anxiety and compulsive eating are harmful both for the student's health and for their performance in their studies, as well as their physical and mental health.