Covid 19 And Its Effects On Eating Behaviors And Stress In The College Student Population

The purpose of this study is to describe 1) Which eating habits were impacted by COVID-19 regulation and policy changes in Kent State University students, 2) How were eating habits impacted by COVID-19 regulation and policy changes in KSU students and 3) Have stress levels increased by COVID-19 regulation and policy changes in KSU students. There were 272 participants were male and female students at Kent State University who were >=18 years and enrolled in undergraduate classes from spring 2020-spring 2021. Exclusion criteria included those that were >26 years old, those previously diagnosed with an eating disorder, and those in a graduate or Ph.D. programs. This study is a descriptive study that distributed an electronic survey by email to the participants. The survey included eight demographic questions, 22 eating behavior questions, and 11 stress questions. Current study found that 51% (32.1±3.87) of student's had high stress from March 2020-now. It was also seen that from March 2020-May 2021 students reported increased consumption of processed and sugary foods, as well as increased snacking, snacking due to boredom, and portion size in comparison to now. These findings suggest that COVID-19 regulations and policies had an impact on KSU students eating behaviors and increased stress. Increased stress and negative eating habits due to COVID-19 regulations and policies long term effects are unknown and studies should be done to further investigate.