Investigation of the Relationship of Chronotype with Eating Attitudes and Body Image in University Students

Abstract

Objective: In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the relationship between the chronotype of university students, who are considered to be a high-risk group for the development of eating disorders and the eating attitude and body perception of the students.
Method: This descriptive study was carried out with the participation of 893 students who were actively studying in the 2020-2021 academic year of a university and consented to participate in the study. Data was obtained by sending the questionnaire to students' e-mail through a structured questionnaire created in Google Forms. Descriptive statistics, chi square and correlation test were used to evaluate the data. Institutional and ethical board permissions were obtained for the study and voluntary participation was based on.
Results: It was determined that the students who participated in the study were mostly female (72.2%), did not have a physician diagnosed disease (82.5%), had normal weight (68.5%), and mean age was 21.23 ± 3.80 years. In determining the chronotype of the students, it was found that there was an intermediate type (67.2%) in weight with an average score of 47.54 ± 9.17 in the Morningness Eveningness Test. During the coronavirus pandemic, it was determined that the chronotype of the female students who kept their weight and did not change their sleeping habits were morning type. In the study, no statistically significant relationship was found between the chronotype of the students and the sub-dimensions of the Eating Attitude Test (dieting, bulimic behavior, oral control behavior) and the Body Liking Scale (p> 0.05). However, as the age and BMI of the students increased and the sleep duration decreased, it was found that the Morningness-Eveningness Test score was higher and the result was statistically significant (respectively r = 0.124, r = -0.148, r = 0.069; p <0.05).
Conclusions and Suggestions: It was determined that variables such as gender, change in body weight and sleeping habits during the coronavirus pandemic showed a statistically significant difference between chronotypes. It is clear that students need health counseling that takes into account individual differences to be carried out by nurses and nutrition and dietetics specialists. In addition, further studies supported by methods such as physical activity and food consumption recording are needed to be conducted with different samples in different age groups to examine the relationship between circadian preference and eating habits, eating disorders.

Keywords

• Chronotype;
• Eating behavior;
• Body liking;
• University students;
• Morningness-eveningness

ÜNİVERSİTE ÖĞRENCİLERİNDE KRONOTİPİN, YEME TUTUMU VE BEDEN ALGISI İLE İLİŞKİSİNİN İNCELENMESİ

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışmada, yeme bozukluğu gelişimi açısından yüksek riskli grup olarak görülen üniversite öğrencilerinin kronotipinin öğrencilerin yeme tutumu ve beden algılarıyla ilişkisinin değerlendirilmesi amaçlanmıştır.
Yöntem: Tanımlayıcı tipte olan bu çalışma bir devlet üniversitesinin 2020-2021 akademik yılında aktif olarak öğrenim görmekte olan ve çalışmaya katılmayı kabul eden 893 öğrencinin katılımı ile gerçekleştirildi. Veriler Google Formlar'da oluşturulan yapılandırılmış bir anket aracılığıyla, anket formunun öğrencilerin e-postasına gönderilmesiyle elde edilmiştir Verilerin değerlendirilmesinde tanımlayıcı istatistikler, X2 ve korelasyon testi kullanıldı. Çalışma için kurum ve etik kurul izinleri alnmış ve gönüllü katılım esas alınmıştır.
Bulgular: Çalışmaya katılan öğrencilerin çoğunlukla kadın cinsiyetinde (%72.2), hekim tarafından tanı konulmuş bir hastalığı bulunmayan (%82.5), normal kilolu (%68.5) ve yaş ortalaması olarak 21.23±3.80 yıl olduğu belirlendi. Öğrencilerin kronotipinin belirlenmesinde Sabahcıl Akşamcıl Testinden 47.54±9.17 ortalama puan ile ağırlıkta ara tip (%67.2) olduğu bulundu. Pandemi sürecinde kilosunu koruyan ve uyku alışkanlığında herhangi bir değişiklik olmayan ve kadın cinsiyetindeki öğrencilerin kronotipinin sabahçıl tipte olduğu belirlendi. Çalışmada öğrencilerinin kronotipi ile Yeme Tutum Testi alt boyutları (diyet yapma, bulimik davranış, oral ontrol davranışı) ve Bedeni Beğenme Ölçeği arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir ilişki bulunmamıştır (p> 0.05). Ancak öğrencilerin yaşı ve BKI değeri arttıkça ve uyku süresi azaldıkça Sabahçıl-Akşamcıl Testi puanın daha yüksek olduğu, sonucun istatistiksel olarak anlamlı olduğu bulunmuştur (sırasıyla r = 0.124, r= -0.148, r =0.069; p< 0.05).
Sonuç ve Öneriler: Pandemi sürecindeki vücut ağırlığındaki ve uyku alışkanlığındaki değişim ve cinsiyet gibi değişkenlerin kronotipler arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı fark gösterdiği belirlendi. Öğrencilerin hemşireler ve beslenme ve diyetetik uzmanları tarafından yürütülecek bireysel farklılıkların dikkate alındığı, sağlık danışmanlıklarına ihtiyacı açıktır. Ayrıca farklı yaş gruplarında, farklı örneklemlerle yapılacak ve sirkadiyen tercih ile beslenme alışkanlıkları, yeme bozuklukları ilişkisinin incelendiği, fiziksel aktivite ve besin tüketim kaydının alınması gibi yöntemlerle desteklenen ileri çalışmalara ihtiyaç vardır. 

Keywords

• Kronotip
• Bedeni beğenme
• Yeme davranışı

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