The Relationship Between Eating Behaviors and Mood States among University Students: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Year 2026, Volume: 13 Issue: 1 , 268 - 285 , 30.04.2026

Elif Uluğ , Menşure Nur Çelik

https://doi.org/10.21020/husbfd.1790643

https://izlik.org/JA64MT74EC

Abstract

Objectives: Considering the potential interplay between psychological conditions and eating behaviors, this study aimed to investigate the associations between levels of depression, anxiety, and stress and hedonic hunger, food craving, and picky eating among university students.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 382 university students (296 women and 86 men) recruited via convenience sampling method. Participants completed a questionnaire that included sociodemographic questions as well as the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), Food Craving Questionnaire (FCQ), the Power of Food Scale (PFS), and Adult Picky Eating Questionnaire (APEQ). Participants’ body weight and height were self-reported. Data were analyzed using SPSS 23.0; statistical evaluations included Mann-Whitney U, chi-square, and Spearman correlation tests, alongside multivariable multinomial logistic regression models adjusted for age, gender, and body mass index (BMI).
Results: Significant differences were observed between female and male participants in terms of depression subscale of DASS-21 and physiological craving and cognitive preoccupation subscales of FCQ (p<0.05). Positive correlations were identified between DASS-21 subscales and total and some subscales scores of FCQ, PFS, and APEQ (r =0.158-0.308; p<0.05). Compared to the moderate depression, multinomial logistic regression analysis indicated that extremely severe depression was significantly associated with higher total and subscale scores of FCQ, PFS, and APEQ (OR=1.020-1.794; 95% CI: 1.014-2.020; p < 0.05). Similarly, extremely severe anxiety linked to specific FCQ subscales and APEQ food variety compared to the normal stress (OR = 1.110-1.341; 95% CI: 1.048-1.638; p < 0.05). However, no significant association was found between mild or moderate stress and FCQ, PFS, or APEQ subscales (p>0.05).
Conclusion: The associations identified between psychological mood status and eating behaviors suggest that mental health-focused interventions and tailored screening could potentially help promote healthier eating patterns among young adults. Further longitudinal studies are warranted to confirm these relationships.

Keywords

eating behaviors , depression , anxiety , stress

Ethical Statement

Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Atatürk University Faculty of Medicine Non-Interventional Clinical Research Ethics Committee (Approval No: B.30.2.ATA.0.01.00/124).

References

• Abdulla, N. K., Obaid, R. R., Qureshi, M. N., Asraiti, A. A., Janahi, M. A., Abu Qiyas, S. J., & Faris, M. E. (2023). Relationship between hedonic hunger and subjectively assessed sleep quality and perceived stress among university students: A cross-sectional study. Heliyon, 9(4), e14987. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14987
• Akçil Ok, M., & Hayzaran, M. (2020). Validation of the Turkish version Power of the Food Scale (PFS) for determining hedonic hunger status and correlate between PFS and body mass index. Malaysian Journal of Nutrition, 26(3).
• Al-Rouq, F., Al-Otaibi, A., AlSaikhan, A., Al-Essa, M., & Al-Mazidi, S. (2022). Assessing physiological and psychological factors contributing to stress among medical students: implications for health. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(24), 16822.
• Alexander, J. L., Dennerstein, L., Kotz, K., & Richardson, G. (2007). Women, anxiety and mood: a review of nomenclature, comorbidity and epidemiology. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 7(sup1), S45-S58.
• American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-IV (Vol. 4). American Psychiatric Association Washington, DC.
• Annesi, J. J. (2016). Psychosocial predictors of decay in healthy eating and physical activity improvements in obese women regaining lost weight: translation of behavioral theory into treatment suggestions. Translational Behavioral Medicine, 6(2), 169-178.
• Arpa Zemzemoğlu, T. E., Türkkan, T., & Bülbül, K. (2025). The mediating role of depression, anxiety and stress in the relationship between hedonic eating and loneliness in women. Food and Health, 11(3), 268-278. https://doi.org/10.3153/FH25023
• Auerbach, R. P., Mortier, P., Bruffaerts, R., Alonso, J., Benjet, C., Cuijpers, P., Demyttenaere, K., Ebert, D. D., Green, J. G., & Hasking, P. (2018). WHO world mental health surveys international college student project: Prevalence and distribution of mental disorders. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 127(7), 623.
• Bantjes, J., Lochner, C., Saal, W., Roos, J., Taljaard, L., Page, D., Auerbach, R. P., Mortier, P., Bruffaerts, R., & Kessler, R. C. (2019). Prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of common mental disorders among first-year university students in post-apartheid South Africa: implications for a public mental health approach to student wellness. BMC Public Health, 19(1), 922.
• Blöte, A. W., Miers, A. C., & Westenberg, P. M. (2022). Concurrent and prospective associations between social anxiety and responses to stress in adolescence. Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, 50(5), 659-668.
• Brown, T. A., Chorpita, B. F., Korotitsch, W., & Barlow, D. H. (1997). Psychometric properties of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) in clinical samples. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 35(1), 79-89. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0005-7967(96)00068-x
• Buczek, L., Migliaccio, J., & Petrovich, G. D. (2020). Hedonic Eating: Sex Differences and Characterization of Orexin Activation and Signaling. Neuroscience, 436, 34-45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.04.008
• Cao, D.-H., & Zheng, L.-K. (2023). Roles of survival situation and personality temperament in the relationship between life stress and depression of higher vocational college students. BMC Psychology, 11(1), 172.
• Cappelleri, J. C., Bushmakin, A. G., Gerber, R. A., Leidy, N. K., Sexton, C. C., Karlsson, J., & Lowe, M. R. (2009). Evaluating the Power of Food Scale in obese subjects and a general sample of individuals: development and measurement properties. Internaitonal Journal of Obesity (Lond), 33(8), 913-922. https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2009.107
• Cepeda-Benito, A., Gleaves, D. H., Williams, T. L., & Erath, S. A. (2000). The development and validation of the state and trait food-cravings questionnaires. Behavior Therapy, 31(1), 151-173. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7894(00)80009-X
• Chai, Y., Fu, G., Liu, Y., Song, Q., Xue, C., & Luo, S. (2024). The relationship between stress, anxiety and eating behavior among Chinese students: a cross-sectional study. Frontiers in Public Health, 12, 1466700.
• Chammas, G., Hallit, S., Abou Nader, L., Chammas, M., Fekih-Romdhane, F., Obeid, S., & Haddad, G. (2025). Mediating effect of food disgust between depression/anxiety and avoidant restrictive eating. Journal of Eating Disorder, 13(1), 244. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-025-01430-8
• Chatoor, I. (2009). Sensory food aversions in infants and toddlers. Zero to Three, 29(3), 44-49.
• Demir, G., Bozdağ, A. N. S., & Çakıroğlu, F. P. (2023). The Adult Picky Eating Questionnaire: Turkish validity and reliability study. Journal of Health and Life Sciences, 5(3), 131-138.
• Ellis, J. M., Galloway, A. T., Webb, R. M., & Martz, D. M. (2017). Measuring adult picky eating: The development of a multidimensional self-report instrument. Psychological Assessment, 29(8), 955-966. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0000387
• Ewoldt, J. (2012). The relationship between age, gender, and hedonic hunger. Journal of Student Research. 331-343.
• Fox, G., Coulthard, H., Williamson, I., & Aldridge, V. (2023). How multiple threats to safety affects quality of life for picky eating adults: A new explanatory model. Appetite, 181, 106396.
• Fox, G., Coulthard, H., Williamson, I., & Wallis, D. (2018). “It's always on the safe list”: Investigating experiential accounts of picky eating adults. Appetite, 130, 1-10.
• Goebert, D., Thompson, D., Takeshita, J., Beach, C., Bryson, P., Ephgrave, K., Kent, A., Kunkel, M., Schechter, J., & Tate, J. (2009). Depressive symptoms in medical students and residents: a multischool study. Academic Medicine, 84(2), 236-241.
• Hong, H. J., Kim, R., Kim, A. S., Kim, J. H., Kim, H. J., Song, J. H., & Shin, S. H. (2020). Correlations between stress, depression, body mass index, and food addiction among Korean nursing students. Journal of Addictions Nursing, 31(4), 236-242.
• José, M. E. R., Ramos, I. E. C., de Sousa, T. M., & Canella, D. S. (2025). Food consumption associated with depression, anxiety and stress in students entering a public university. Journal of Nutritional Science, 14, e3. https://doi.org/10.1017/jns.2024.90
• Kauer, J., Pelchat, M. L., Rozin, P., & Zickgraf, H. F. (2015). Adult picky eating. Phenomenology, taste sensitivity, and psychological correlates. Appetite, 90, 219-228. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2015.03.001
• Kozak, A. T., & Fought, A. (2011). Beyond alcohol and drug addiction. Does the negative trait of low distress tolerance have an association with overeating? Appetite, 57(3), 578-581.
• Lovibond, P. F., & Lovibond, S. H. (1995). The structure of negative emotional states: Comparison of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) with the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 33(3), 335-343.
• Martins, B. G., da Silva, W. R., Marôco, J., & Campos, J. A. (2021). Eating behavior of Brazilian college students: influences of lifestyle, negative affectivity, and personal characteristics. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 128(2), 781-799.
• Mason, T. B., Dunton, G. F., Gearhardt, A. N., & Leventhal, A. M. (2020). Emotional disorder symptoms, anhedonia, and negative urgency as predictors of hedonic hunger in adolescents. Eating Behaviors, 36, 101343.
• Mengi Çelik, Ö., Güler, Ü., & Ekici, E. M. (2025a). Factors Affecting Ultra-Processed Food Consumption: Hedonic Hunger, Food Addiction, and Mood. Food Science & Nutrition, 13(5), e70248. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.70248
• Mengi Çelik, Ö., Güler, Ü., Yücel, S., Top, K., Ersoy, E. T., Akçakaya, S. D., & Cihan, B. B. (2025b). Exploring the relationships between adult picky eating, mood states, eating behaviors, and obesity indices. Discover Public Health, 22(1), 821. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12982-025-01225-x
• Muftuoglu, S., Kiziltan, G., & Ok, M. A. (2018). The reliability and validity of the Turkish version of Food Cravings Questionnaire (FCQ-T) in major depressive disorder patients. Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 8(1), 198.
• Nogueira, P. S., Ferreira, M. G., Rodrigues, P. R. M., Muraro, A. P., Pereira, L. P., & Pereira, R. A. (2018). Longitudinal Study on the Lifestyle and Health of University Students (ELESEU): design, methodological procedures, and preliminary results. Cadernos de Saúde Pública, 34, e00145917.
• Quinn, M. E., & Liu, Q. (2026). Bidirectional Relations Between Daily Perceived Stress and Individual Symptoms of Depression. Stress Health, 42(1), e70135. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.70135
• Salwa, A., Zvolensky, M. J., & Kauffman, B. (2023). The association between anxiety sensitivity and food cravings among individuals seeking treatment for weight-related behaviors. Eating Behavior, 48, 101684. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2022.101684
• Smith, A. M., Roux, S., Naidoo, N. R., & Venter, D. J. (2005). Food choices of tactile defensive children. Nutrition, 21(1), 14-19.
• Song, Y.-M., Lee, K., & Sung, J. (2019). Genetic and environmental relationships between eating behavior and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Eating and Weight Disorders-Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, 24(5), 887-895.
• Şarahman, C., & Akçil, O. (2019). Investigation of the relationship between hedonic status of adult individuals food craving, impulsivity and self esteem status. Journal of Traditional Complementary Medicine Therapies, 2, 71-82.
• Ulker, I., Ayyildiz, F., & Yildiran, H. (2021). Validation of the Turkish version of the power of food scale in adult population. Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, 26(4), 1179-1186. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-020-01019-x
• Xue, J., Liu, L., Shang, J., Feng, Y., Sun, X., Wang, J., Chen, C., Liu, Z., Geng, F., Mo, D., Luo, X., Wen, X., Xia, L., & Liu, H. (2025). Associations between appetite loss and psychopathology as well as gender differences in adolescents with major depressive disorders. BMC Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-07718-y
• Yalçın, T., Ayyıldız, F., Yılmaz, M. V., & Asil, E. (2023). Relationship of perceived depression, stress, anxiety levels and hedonic hunger. International Journal of Obesity, 47(8), 717-723. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-023-01315-3
• Yılmaz, Ö., Boz, H., & Arslan, A. (2017). The Validity and Reliability of Depresison Stress and Anxiety Scale (DASS21) Turkish Short Form. Research of Financial Economic and Social Studies, 2(2), 78-91.
• Zorjan, S., Karakatič, S., Horvat, M., Bratec, S. M., & Krajnc, Ž. (2025). A personalized approach to understanding food cravings and intake: a study protocol. Journal of Eating Disorders, 13(1), 103. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-025-01303-0