<![CDATA[Background: In Indonesia, 6.2% of people between the ages of 15 and 24 suffer from depression, which is especially common among college students enrolled in health-related courses. Previous research has demonstrated a favorable correlation between depressive symptoms and perceived academic stress. Emotional eating, or eating to cope with unpleasant feelings, is one unhealthy coping mechanism. Objective: In this study, undergraduate students at Universitas Gadjah Mada’s Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing (FK-KMK UGM) were asked whether emotional eating moderates the association between perceived academic stress and depressive symptoms. Methods: 416 undergraduate students from the academic years 2021–2024 participated in this cross-sectional survey. The Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II), the Perception of Academic Stress (PAS) questionnaire, and the Emotional Eating Scale (EES) were used to evaluate depressive symptoms. Convenience sampling was employed, and Google Forms was utilized to gather data via WhatsApp and LINE groups. Stratified analysis and interaction were used to evaluate moderation, and multiple ordinal logistic regression was used. Results: Gender, primary and secondary appraisal, and social support were significant covariates. A total of 58.2% of students reported minimal depressive symptoms; high perceived academic stress was significantly associated with increased depressive symptoms (AOR: 4.35); emotional eating was not significantly associated with depressive symptoms and did not moderate the relationship. Conclusion: Among medical students, the impression of academic stress is a significant predictor of depressive symptoms. The link was not moderated by emotional eating, but social support and primary and secondary appraisal were protective factors, underscoring the need for focused mental health treatments in academic contexts.]]>
Copyrights © 2026
