Assessment of emotional eating disorders in dental students and professionals of a dental college in North India

Abstract

The primary intent of this study was to provide valuable insights into the perception of stress and emotional eating patterns associated with acute and chronic stress events experienced by dental professionals during their academic tenure, as academicians, or in dental practice. A total of 404 subjects i.e. 316 Females and 88 Males participated in the study. With the maximum being undergraduate dental students, the study sample comprised post-graduates and teachers. Apart from socio-demographic details, the survey included the Perceived Stress Scale and the Emotional Eater Questionnaire. The results showed that the mediated effect of perceived stress on emotional eating was statistically significant across all age groups (p = 0.023), for both genders (p = 0.001), and among various categories of dental professionals (p = 0.013). The research highlighted that females experienced higher stress and emotional eating levels than males. However, age and professional designation did not significantly influence these behaviours at the individual level.