Title:

Perceived Stress and Diet Quality in College Females

Objectives To explore the relationship between perceived stress on the diet quality of college females, age 18-24. Methods Cross-sectional data from female students (n=3113) were collected between 2012-2020 from the College Health and Nutrition Assessment Survey, an ongoing study at a public, New England university. Perceived stress was measured via online questionnaire using Cohen’s 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) during the 3rd or 4th week of the semester; scores were used to create quartiles (low to high stress). Self-reported three-day food records were collected and analyzed (DietAnalysis+) to assess diet quality. Calcium, fiber, potassium, and saturated fat intake were used to create diet quality scores ranging from 4-20; scores >13 were characterized as a healthy diet. The association between diet quality and perceived stress was examined using ANCOVA with anxiety medication, BMI, major, and living arrangement considered as covariates. Results Mean age of participants was 18 (59% freshmen and 94% white). Thirty-four percent of students in the final sample were considered to have had a healthy diet. Mean PSS was 16.79±0.12. About half (49.#%) fell into the low or low/moderate PSS quartiles; moderate/high and high stress quartiles made up the majority (27.8% and 23.4%, respectively). Diet scores were higher among students in the lowest vs. highest and moderate/high PSS quartile (12.3±0.12 vs. 11.8±0.13 and 11.8±0.12, respectively, p<.01). Conclusion Our findings suggest that higher perceived stress is associated with modestly poorer diet quality in college women. Research in this area may provide evidence of the importance of wellness programs for students as they navigate the college environment. Funding Source New Hampshire Agriculture Experiment Station and USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Hatch Project 1010738. Key Words: stress, diet, college females, perceived stress, diet score, college students, fiber intake, healthy diet, poor diet, college nutrition

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