The Relationship between Emotional Disorders and Emotional Eating in Final Year Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37287/ijghr.v8i2.571Keywords:
anxiety, depression, emotional eating, stressAbstract
Emotional disorders such as anxiety, stress, and depression are prevalent among university students, particularly in their final year due to academic pressures. These conditions can influence daily behavior, including eating patterns, and may trigger emotional eating, which threatens both physical and psychological health. Self-esteem is considered a protective factor that may buffer these effects. This study aimed to examine the relationship between emotional disorders and emotional eating among final-year female students and to analyze the moderating role of self-esteem. A cross-sectional design was conducted involving 222 stu dents from Universitas Muhammadiyah Aceh. Data were collected using the DASS-21, Emotional Eating Scale (EES), and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). Logistic regression analysis showed that 38.74% of respondents experienced moderate depression, 27.48% moderate anxiety, 15.77% moderate stress, and 22.17% reported emotional eating. Significant associations were found between moderate anxiety (p=0.045) and severe stress (p=0.021) with emotional eating. Moreover, self-esteem moderated the relationship between stress and emotional eating, suggesting that higher self-esteem helps students control eating behavior under stress. These findings emphasize the importance of early detection and psychosocial interventions to promote students’ mental health and healthy eating patterns.
References
Abuzar, P.S.-E.M.E.I.I.O.a.a.I.T.C.O.G.a.a.D.I.H.E.I.J.O.S., Self-Esteem Matters: Examining its Impact on Academic Achievement in the Context of Gender and Age Diversity in Higher Education. , Indonesian Journal of Social Research (IJSR), 6(2), 157- 2024;, 6(2), 157-
Acosta-Gonzaga, E., Et Al., he effects of self-esteem and academic engagement on academic performance., Frontiers in Psychology., 2023.
Caso, D., Et Al. (2020). The moderating effect of eating style and BMI on the relationship between stress and unhealthy eating among undergraduate students. Health Psychology Open, 2020.
Chai, Y., Et Al. , The relationship between stress, anxiety and eating behaviour among college students, Frontiers in Public Health 2024.
Chamberlin, A.E.A., Academic-related factors and emotional eating in adolescents., Public Health Nutrition, … (Vol. & pages)., 2020.
El-Zayat, A., The relationship between perceived stress and emotional eating among female university students. Eating and Weight Disorders (or similar)., 2025.
Rahmadhani, N., & Mahmudiono, T. , Academic stress is associated with emotional eating behavior among adolescents at SMAN 6 Surabaya. , Media Gizi Indonesia,, 2021;16(1), 38–47.
Saleh, A.A. & Amelia, N.R., Strategi coping stress dalam menangani stres kerja geriatric nursing di PPSLU Mappakasunggu Kota Parepare, 2022.
Shen, W., Long, L.M C.H & Ludy,M.J, A humanities-based explanation for the effects of emotional eating and perceived stres on food choice motives during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nutrients, 12(9), 2717., 2020.
Sinval, J., Et Al., Exploring the impact of depression, anxiety, stress on academic outcomes, Journal of Affective Disorders., 2025.
Syarofi, Z.N., & Muniroh, L. (2020). , Apakah Perilaku Dan Asupan Makan Berlebih Berkaitan Dengan Stress Pada Mahasiswa Gizi Yang Menyusun Skripsi ? Media Gizi Indonesia, 15(1), 38–44., 2020.
Silitonga, Y.Y., Pengaruh Self-Esteem terhadap Prestasi Akademik Mahasiswa, literacy notes, 2025;1(1).
Simmons, B.L., Hanna, A. & Hu, J., The holistic model of stress: Savoring eustress while coping with distress, 2024.
Sitepu, E., Analisis Faktor-Faktor yang Berhubungan dengan Kejadian Stres Pada Mahasiswa Tingkat Akhir S1 Matematika di Universitas Negeri Medan, journal unisba statistika, 2024;24(1) 2024.
Steinmayr, R., & Kessels, U., Does Students’ Level of Intelligence Moderate the Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status and Academic Achievement?, Journal of Intelligence, , 2024;12(12), 123.
Syarofi, Z.N., & Muniroh, L. (2020). , Apakah Perilaku Dan Asupan Makan Berlebih Berkaitan Dengan Stress Pada Mahasiswa Gizi Yang Menyusun Skripsi ? Media Gizi Indonesia, 15(1), 38–44, 2020.
Trimawati, T., & Wakhid, A., Studi Deskriptif Perilaku Emotional Eating Mahasiswa yang Mengerjakan Skripsi di Universitas Ngudi Waluyo Ungaran. Jurnal Smart Keperawatan, 5(1), 52, 2020.
Vitoasmara, K., Hidayah, F.V., Purnamasari, N.I. & Aprillia, R.Y., Gangguan Mental (Mental Disorders), Student Research Journal, 2024;2(3):57-68.
Wakhyudin, H. & Putri, A.D.S., Analisis kecemasan mahasiswa dalam menyelesaikan skripsi, Wasis: jurnal ilmiah pendidikan, 2020;1(1):14-18.
Wang, L., Et Al, The influence of parental control on emotional eating: anxiety, stress, and emotion regulation in college students. Nutrients, 17(17), 2756., 2025.
Zhou, J., Chen, Y., Ji, S., Qu, J., Bu, Y., Li, W., Zhou, Z., Wang, X., Fu, X., & Liu, Y. (2024). Sleep Quality and Emotional Eating in College Students: A Moderated Mediation Model of Depression and Physical Activity Levels. Journal of Eating Disorders, 12, Article 155., Sleep quality and emotional eating in college students: a moderated mediation model of depression and physical activity levels., Journal of Eating Disorders, 12, Article 155., 2024.
Hafiz, A., Hubungan Antara Self-Esteem dengan Depresi Pada Mahasiswa: Universitas Islam Negeri Sultan Syarif Kasim Riau; 2024.
Jiang, Y., Et Al., The Impact of Anxiety and Depression on Academic Performance: The Mediating Role of Coping Strategies in University Students., Frontiers in Psychology,, 2023;14, 1123456.
Praniwi, A.A., (2023). Hubungan Tingkat Kecemasan, Stres, dan Depresi Mahasiswa Dengan Indeks Prestasi Kumulatif Studi Observasional Analitik pada Mahasiswa PSPK FK Unissula Angkatan 2019 Tahun Akademik Genap 2021/2022.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Indonesian Journal of Global Health Research
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
