Perceived Stress and Food Consumption Frequency among Medical Students of Rawalpindi Medical University, Pakistan

Abstract

Stress is a common health problem among medical students. Higher stress among students leads to change in food preference. This study was aimed to assess the relationship between perceived stress and food pattern among final-year MBBS student of Rawalpindi Medical University. This cross descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among final-year MBBS students of Rawalpindi Medical University in January 2020.Data was collected through Perceived stress scale and self-structured questionnaire about demographic details and dietary habit details. Students with irregular dietary habits were excluded. Because of non-parametric nature of data, non-parametric statistical tests including Mann–Whitney test, Kruskal–Wallis test and Multinomial logistic regression were applied to assess the variables. Statistically significant differences of perceived stress were observed across gender (p=0.000) and boarding status (p=0.004). Significant differences of perceived stress were also found across intake three frequency levels of sweet foods(p=0.000), snack foods(p=0.001) and ready to eat foods(p=0.012) while differences were non- significant across three intake frequency levels of fast foods(p=0.067) and fruits and vegetables(p=0.175).Multinomial logistic regression proposed increase intake of sweet foods, snack foods, ready to eat foods and fast foods with the increase in perceived stress while decease intake of fruits and vegetables with the increase in perceived stress. Our study shows that perceived stress changes dietary patterns and with the increase in perceived stress consumption of unhealthy foods increases while consumption of healthy foods decreases. So, by applying suitable interventions for alleviation of stress we can improve dietary habits and consequently physical health.

How Fast Foods Impact Coronary Artery Disease Incidence: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Various reasons have been manifested in literature, that leads to higher consumption of junk food among people in contrast to healthy foods. These reasons include taste, easy digestion, mental disease and easy availability [12], [13]. Higher incidence of CAD among fast food eaters could be due their higher fat content which induce damage to endothelium of blood vessels, atheroma formation in the blood vessels and eventually blockage of blood vessels which leads to ischemia and in the end necrosis of organ that get supply from that blood vessels.…”

Association of Foods with Hypertension: A Call for Action

“…Different logics have been displayed in literature, that leads to increase consumption of fast food among people in comparison to healthy foods. These reasons include taste, easy digestion, mental disease, and easy availability [21]- [23]. Higher prevalence of HTN among junk food eaters could be due to their higher salt and fat content which make into action various systems of body and consequently leads to raised BP of both types [17], [18].…”

“…These include easy availability, easy digestion, tasty and energy enrich nature [21]. Mental diseases like stress and depression are also reported as driving factors for higher consumption of junk foods [22], [23].…”

Learning Environment Quality for Medical Students at Umm Al-Qura University: A Comprehensive Study on Stressors, Sources, and Solutions After Introduction of a New Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) Curriculum

“…Studies mentioned earlier covered stress and depression in medical students, but such studies were conducted in the context of the traditional educational system. [6][7][8][9][10][11] The present study is different, having been conducted to evaluate the learning environment quality after the updated MBBS curriculum was introduced. The aim of the present study was to fill in the gap regarding the effect of the curriculum change on the stress of medical students, as well as identifying the source of that stress and its impact on their quality of life.…”

“… 4 , 5 Medical students encounter many stressors during their journey to achieve their goals; 5 these include an extensive medical curriculum, information overload, long study hours, high academic and family expectations, competition, and frequent and varied examinations. 3 Several studies have reported moderate to high levels of stress among medical students in different countries worldwide, including 91.1% in India, 6 84.5% in Pakistan, 7 83.5% in Thailand, 8 and 49% in Malaysia. 9 In Saudi Arabia, stress was reported in Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, at 67.9% in 2018, 5 in Rabigh Medical College, Jeddah, at 59.2% in 2015, 3 in Umm Al-Qura University (UQU), Makkah, at 70.9% in 2015, 10 and in King Saud University, Riyadh, at 63% in 2011.…”