Jurnal Cakrawala Promkes
Vol. 7 No. 1 (2025): February

The relationship between stress levels and the habits of consuming high-sugar food among undergraduate students

'Azizah, Zulfa (Unknown)
Putriana, Dittasari (Unknown)
Dewi, Agil Dhiemitra Aulia (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
31 Jan 2025

Abstract

The SKI 2023 survey revealed that 81% of students consume foods high in sugar, while a preliminary study found that severe academic stress increases by 34.2% among students aged 21 to 25. High-sugar food consumption is believed to help reduce stress temporarily. This study aims to investigate the relationship between stress levels and the consumption of high-sugar foods among students at Universitas 'Aisyiyah Yogyakarta (UNISA). This analytical observational research employed a cross-sectional design. The sample consisted of 168 students aged 18 to 25 who were selected using purposive sampling. Data were obtained through the UNISA-UiTM (Universitas 'Aisyiyah Yogyakarta and Universitas Teknologi MARA) 2023 Mental Health research. Respondent characteristics were collected using a structured questionnaire, high-sugar food consumption habits were assessed using the Q-FFQ, and stress levels were measured with the DASS questionnaire. Data collection was conducted both online and offline. Spearman rank correlation analysis was performed, with a significance threshold of p < 0.05. The findings revealed that 39.2% of students experienced stress, while 52.98% had a habit of consuming high-sugar foods. However, the analysis showed no statistically significant relationship between stress levels and high-sugar food consumption (p = 0.11). While no direct correlation was established, high-sugar food consumption remains a concern due to its potential health impacts. Students are encouraged to adopt healthier dietary habits by monitoring their sugar intake, reading nutritional labels, and limiting high-sugar foods to 1–3 times per week. Promoting awareness of balanced diets and stress management techniques may help improve students' mental and physical well-being.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

cp

Publisher

Subject

Public Health

Description

JCP (Jurnal Cakrawala Promkes (JCP) is an open-access journal that is peer-reviewed and multidisciplinary forum for the publication of those research that aimed at understanding of the implication and approaches to health promotion and public health. JCP includes research in the social determinants ...