Effect of Academic-related and Teaching and Learning-Related Stressors on Eating Habits among Medical Students: A Cross-sectional Study

Stress occurs when people are faced with challenges and feel overwhelmed. Too much stress can cause negative effects on the body. Medical students especially feel a lot of stress due to their curriculum, which affects their eating habits and, in turn, their academic performance. This study aimed to assess the effects of academic-related and teaching and learning-related stressors on the pattern of eating habits. A cross-sectional study was carried out among students of private medical universities in UAE. MBBS and BDS students of and above the age of eighteen were included. A standardized questionnaire (Medical Student Stressor Questionnaire) was used to collect data. SPSS version 28 was used to analyze the data. We identified two main types of stressors: Academic Related Stressors (ARS) and Teaching and Learning Related Stressors (TLRS), resulting in high levels of stress causing them to eat more than usual or less than usual. Most students (82.6%) who ate less or much less than usual had experienced high or severe stress due to academic-related stressors of ‘strenuous task’ (P=0.007). Moreover, 81.5% of students who ate more than usual had experienced high or severe stress when they were nervous and stressed (P=0.004). When feeling “difficulties pile up” and during times when students “lacked confidence” due to teaching-related stressors, 71.7% and 66.3% of the participants experienced mild/moderate stress, respectively and ate less or much less than usual (P<0.05). We were able to determine the effect of academic-related stressors (ARS) and teaching and learning-related stressors (TLRS) on eating habits. This has led us to discover the importance of well-developed and improved intervention programs by universities to reduce stress and promote healthy eating habits among medical students.