Effects of examination on perceived stress, eating behaviours and nutritional status

Yu Ni Wong; Norliyana Aris.

Examinations often lead to changes in university students' perceived stress levels, eating behaviours, and nutritional status. This study aimed to compare these factors between examination and non-examination weeks among Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) students. A cross-sectional study was conducted from July to December 2023. A total of 85 students (40 males and 45 females) were recruited using a non-probability convenient sampling method. Data were collected at two time points (examination and non- examination weeks) using a self-administered questionnaire that included sociodemographic information, perceived stress and the Dutch Eating Behaviours Questionnaire (DEBQ) to measure dietary patterns. Nutritional status was assessed using anthropometry (height and weight) and dietary assessment (two days of 24-hour diet recall). SPSS version 29.0 was used to analyse the data. Findings from Paired sample T-test showed that no significant difference was observed in the perceived stress score between examination and non-examination weeks (p=0.447). Additionally, body mass index (BMI) (p=0.354), calorie intake (p=0.392), and macronutrient intake (p>0.05) showed no significant differences between examination and non-examination weeks. In terms of eating behaviours, emotional eating (p=0.003) and external eating (p=0.039) were significantly higher during examination weeks compared to non- examination weeks. However, no significant changes were found in restrained eating behaviours (0.177). In conclusion, the study found that examinations increased emotional and external eating scores among university students, despite no significant changes in other variables. This could raise university authorities’ awareness in guiding students to manage their stress to prevent unhealthy eating behaviours that could jeopardize their health during examination period. Hence, the underlying mechanisms connecting examinations and eating habits should be explored to help students adopt healthier behaviours to manage stress.

KEYWORDS: Perceived stress; Eating behaviours; Nutritional status; Examination; University students



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