Linkage between stress and fruit and vegetable intake among university students: an empirical analysis on Turkish students

The purpose of this study was to examine, in a sample of university students, the relationship between stress and benefits and barriers of fruit and vegetable consumption. Subjects were administered a questionnaire containing demographic profile, benefits and barriers of fruit and vegetable consumption, Brief Symptom Inventory, Stress Scale, and Brief Coping Style Inventory. Frequencies and means were used for descriptive purposes. Spearman (gender) and Pearson product moment correlations, multiple linear regressions, and factor analyses were performed. Stress Symptom Scale, Susceptibility to Stress Scale Stress, and Coping Style Inventory were significantly associated with barriers of fruit and vegetable intake. Results from the questionnaire indicated that the self-reported mean intake was 3.67 ± 1.81 servings of fruit and vegetables per day. The present study revealed a significant influence of fruit and vegetable restraint on eating behavior under stress. The results suggest that increased stress was strongly associated with barriers of fruit and vegetable intake among Turkish university students.