The Impact of COVID-19-Related Stress on Diet and Eating Behaviors in US College Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

TL;DR

This study found that pandemic-related stress, especially academic stress, led to unhealthy eating behaviors in US college students during Fall 2020.

Contribution

The study specifically links pandemic-related academic stress to changes in diet and eating behaviors among college students.

Findings

Pandemic-related stress was associated with less healthy diets and emotional eating.

Female students showed stronger stress-diet associations than males.

Stress was linked to changes in diet quality, eating frequency, and food consumption.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the US population, including college students, to stress posing challenges to psychological and behavioral health. Previous studies have demonstrated that stress can promote unhealthy eating behaviors among college students. This study aimed to examine the relationships of pandemic-related stress with changes in diet and eating behaviors experienced by college students during the Fall 2020 semester.

758 college students in the Mid-Atlantic region of the US completed an online survey in November 2020. The survey assessed multiple dimensions of pandemic-related stress, diet, and eating behaviors, as well as measures of psychological health and social support.

Pandemic-related stress, particularly academic stress, was correlated with less healthy dietary profiles and potentially maladaptive eating behaviors, including emotional eating and late-night eating. Associations between stress and dietary intake were stronger in females than males, whereas males showed stronger associations between stress and food responsiveness. Pandemic-related stress was associated with perceived changes in diet quality, frequency of eating, and amount of food consumed compared to since before the semester started.

Academic stress during the pandemic had a negative impact on diet and eating behaviors among college students. Our results argue for interventions targeting academic stress in everyday contexts as well as potential future public health crises, to prevent negative impacts on students’ eating profiles that may in turn negatively impact health.