Determination of Salivary Cortisol Levels and Nutrition, Smoking and Physical Activity Status of University Students during the Exam Period

Year 2024, Volume: 14 Issue: 3, 594 - 604, 30.09.2024

Tuğçe Orkun Erkılıç , Bülent Bayraktar , Ali Ozan Erkılıç , Gülbahar Böyük Özcan

https://doi.org/10.31020/mutftd.1508807

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the salivary cortisol levels and nutrition, smoking and physical activity status of university students during the exam period.
Method: This study was conducted at Bayburt University Faculty of Health Sciences during the 2023-2024 final exam period. A questionnaire determined the demographic characteristics, dietary and physical activity behaviors, while anthropometric measurements were taken and nutritional status was evaluated. ELISA analyzed the cortisol hormone levels in saliva samples taken before and after the final exam.
Results: The study was conducted on 120 volunteer students between the ages of 18-25 who had no clinical health problems. In the study, a significant difference was found between the students' salivary cortisol levels before and after the exam (p<0.05). Cortisol levels were found to be lower in male students (n=60) than in female students (n=60) (p<0.05). Cortisol levels were found to be higher in smokers than in non-smokers (p<0.05) Exam anxiety was found to be higher in female students (p<0.05). No significant change was observed in terms of physical activity, nutritional behaviors or food preferences during the exam period (p>0.05).
Conclusion: One of the important stress factors for students is the exam period. It is important to examine the effects on nutrition, physical activity and smoking during this period. Cortisol levels are an important marker for such studies and are thought to contribute to the evaluation of the effectiveness of stress prevention strategies.

Keywords

Nutritional Behavior, Physical Activity, Smoking, Cortisol, Hormone

Ethical Statement

Ethics committee approval (16.12.2022/Decision No. 332/13) and institutional permission were obtained before the study. Participants were informed about the study in line with the Declaration of Helsinki, and their consent was obtained for the Informed Consent Form. The study included voluntary participants. Every stage of the study adhered to research and publication ethics.

Sınav Döneminde Üniversite Öğrencilerinin Tükürük Kortizol Düzeyleri İle Beslenme, Sigara İçme, Fiziksel Aktivite Durumlarının Belirlenmesi

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, sınav döneminde üniversite öğrencilerinin tükürük kortizol düzeyleri ıle beslenme, sigara ıçme fiziksel aktivite durumlarının belirlenmesidir.
Yöntem: Bu çalışma Bayburt Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi'nde 2023-2024 final sınav döneminde yürütülmüştür. Bir anket ile katılımcıların demografik özellikleri, beslenme ve fiziksel aktivite davranışları belirlenirken, antropometrik ölçümler alınmış ve beslenme durumları değerlendirilmiştir. Final sınavından önce ve sonra alınan tükürük örneklerinde kortizol hormonu seviyeleri ELISA ile analiz edilmiştir.
Bulgular: Çalışma, klinik olarak herhangi bir sağlık problemi bulunmayan 18-25 yaş aralığındaki toplam 120 gönüllü öğrenci üzerinde yürütülmüştür. Çalışmada, öğrencilerin sınav öncesi ve sonrası tükürük kortizol düzeyleri arasında anlamlı bir fark bulunmuştur (p<0.05). Kortizol düzeyleri erkek öğrencilerde (n=60) kız öğrencilerden (n=60) daha düşük bulunmuştur (p<0.05). Sigara içenlerin kortizol düzeyleri içmeyenlere göre yüksek bulunmuştur (p<0.05). Sınav kaygısı kız öğrencilerde daha yüksek bulunmuştur (p<0.05). Sınav döneminde fiziksel aktivite, beslenme davranışları veya besin tercihleri açısından anlamlı bir değişiklik gözlenmemiştir (p>0.05).
Sonuç: Öğrencilerin için önemli stress etmenlerinden birisi olan sınav dönemidir. Bu dönemde beslenme, fiziksel aktivite ve sigara kullanımı üzerindeki etkilerinin incelenmesi önemlidir. Kortizol seviyeleri bu tür çalışmalar için önemli bir belirteçtir ve stres önleme stratejilerinin etkinliğinin değerlendirilmesine katkı sağlayacağı düşünülmektedir.

Keywords

Beslenme Davranışı, Fiziksel Aktivite, Sigara Kullanımı, Kortizol, Hormon

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