Assessment of Mindful Eating Behavior and Perceived Stress Levels Among Female Non-resident Students in a Select College in Central Chennai

Abstract

Psychological stress and maladaptive eating behaviors are increasingly prevalent among young adults, particularly in academic settings. This study aimed to examine the association between mindful eating behavior and perceived stress levels among female non-resident college students. A descriptive research design was adopted and data were collected using structured questionnaires to obtain information on demographic details, personal habits, mindful eating behavior, perceived stress levels with a sample of 150 participants aged 18–22 years selected through purposive sampling. Statistical analyses were conducted using descriptive measures and Pearson’s correlation coefficient to assess the relationship between the variables. The results indicated moderate levels of perceived stress and varying degrees of mindful eating practices among participants. A statistically significant negative correlation was observed between mindful eating behavior and perceived stress levels suggesting that higher mindfulness in eating is associated with lower stress perception. The findings underscore the potential role of mindful eating as a behavioral strategy for stress regulation and psychological well-being among college students.

Introduction

The study examines mindful eating behavior and perceived stress among female non-resident college students (aged 18–22) and how these factors are related to their lifestyle and health.

It highlights that many students experience unhealthy lifestyle patterns, such as high screen time, irregular routines, low physical activity, and inconsistent sleep habits. While most participants showed moderate mindful eating behavior, a significant proportion reported moderate to high stress levels, mainly due to academic and personal pressures.

The analysis found a significant relationship between stress and mindful eating, meaning that higher stress levels are associated with poorer eating awareness and self-regulation.

Conclusion

The present study evaluated mindful eating behavior and perceived stress levels among non-resident female college students (n = 150) in a selected college in Central Chennai. The findings indicated that a notable proportion of participants experienced moderate levels of perceived stress alongside inconsistencies in mindful eating practices, indicating a potential imbalance between psychological well-being and eating behavior. The significant association observed between perceived stress and mindful eating suggests that elevated stress levels may adversely influence an individual’s ability to engage in attentive and regulated eating. The study highlights the need for focused approaches that promote stress management and foster mindful eating practices among the college students. Strengthening these aspects may contribute to improved behavioral outcomes and overall well-being among students.

References

[1] Alberts, H. J. E. M., Thewissen, R., and Raes, L. (2012). Dealing with problematic eating behaviour: The effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on eating behaviour, food cravings, dichotomous thinking and body image concern. Appetite, 58(3): 847–851. [2] Algorani, E. B., and Gupta, V. (2025). Coping mechanisms. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. [3] Bhattacharya, A., and Goyal, A. (2020). Handbook of Clinical Neurology. Elsevier, 175(1): 387–403. [4] Chauhan, A., and Goyal, M. R. (2026). Mindful eating: Awareness-based choices for better health. In Dietary, Sensory and Gastronomic Applications. Elsevier, pp. 3–15. [5] Cherpak, C. E. (2019). Mindful eating: A review of how the stress-digestion-mindfulness triad may modulate and improve gastrointestinal and digestive function. 18(4): 48–53. [6] Díaz-Quesada, G., Jiménez-Jiménez, J. F., Padial-Ruz, R., and Torres-Luque, G. (2025). An analysis of young women university students’ physical activity levels. Sports, 13(2): 41. [7] Doak, S., Kearney, J. M., McCormack, J. M., and Keaver, L. (2023). The relationship between diet and lifestyle behaviours in a sample of higher education students: A cross-sectional study. Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, 54: 293–299. [8] Emran, M. G. I., Mahmud, S., Khan, A. H., Bristy, N. N., Das, A. K., Barma, R., Barma, A., Mita, M. H., Bosunia, L., Rahman, M., and Roy, M. (2024). Factors affecting stress levels among students: A virtual exploration. European Journal of Medical and Health Sciences, 6(6): 67–75. [9] Escoto, K. H., Laska, M. N., Larson, N., Neumark-Sztainer, D., and Hannan, P. J. (2012). Work hours and perceived time barriers to healthful eating among young adults. American Journal of Health Behavior, 36(6): 786–796. [10] Horaist, H., and Watson, M. (2024). Healthy lifestyle behaviors among first-year college students attending a university in Mississippi. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. [11] Kang, S., and Yeom, H.-A. (2025). Mediating role of growth mindset between college life stress and adjustment to college life among nursing students: A cross-sectional study. PLOS One, 20(6): e0325774. [12] Karyotaki, E. et al. (2020). Sources of stress and their associations with mental disorders among college students. Frontiers in Psychology, 11: 1759. [13] Katterman, S. N., Kleinman, B. M., Hood, M. M., Nackers, L. M., and Corsica, J. A. (2014). Mindfulness meditation as an intervention for binge eating, emotional eating, and weight loss: A systematic review. Eating Behaviors, 15(2): 197–204. [14] Lawlor, E. R. et al. (2020). Third-wave cognitive behaviour therapies for weight management: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. Obesity Reviews, 21(7): e13013. [15] Lazarevich, I. et al. (2025). Mindful eating and its relationship with obesity, eating habits, and emotional distress in Mexican college students. Behavioral Sciences, 15(5): 669. [16] Nelson, J. B. (2017). Mindful eating: The art of presence while you eat. Diabetes Spectrum, 30(3): 171–174. [17] Nivedita, N. et al. (2018). Eating disorders: Prevalence in the student population of Mysore, South India. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 60(4): 433–437. [18] Papadaki, A. et al. (2007). Eating habits of university students living at or away from home in Greece. Appetite, 49(1): 169–176. [19] Sandi, C. (2013). Stress and cognition. WIREs Cognitive Science, 4(3): 245–261. [20] Sarokhani, D. et al. (2013). Prevalence of depression among university students: A systematic review and meta-analysis study. Depression Research and Treatment. [21] Serban, D. M. et al. (2024). Mindful eating, nutrition knowledge, and weight status among medical students. Nutrients, 16(12): 1894. [22] Sogari, G. et al. (2018). College students and eating habits: A study using an ecological model for healthy behavior. Nutrients, 10(12): 1823. [23] Szalma, J., and Hancock, P. A. (Eds.). (2018). Performance Under Stress. CRC Press, pp. 1–18. [24] Tang, Y.-Y., Hölzel, B. K., and Posner, M. I. (2015). The neuroscience of mindfulness meditation. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 16(4): 213–225. [25] Valassi, E., Scacchi, M., and Cavagnini, F. (2008). Neuroendocrine control of food intake. Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, 18(2): 158–168. [26] Zhang, Y. (2025). Impact of dietary habit changes on college students’ physical health insights from a comprehensive study. Scientific Reports, 15(1): 9953

Copyright

Copyright © 2026 Kiran Jayashree M, Dr. Sheba Sangeetha Jeyaraj. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.