Prevalence of Food Addiction and its Relationship to Body Mass Index among University Students

Abstract

Background: Food addiction is defined as an eating behavior that involves the overconsumption of certain foods in an addiction-like manner. The fact that food addiction might contribute to obesity has recently repiqued the interest of researchers, becoming a popular area of study. Aim: The present study aimed to: 1)            assess prevalence rate of food addiction among students 2) Assess relationship between food addiction and body mass index among students. Methodology: A descriptive cross- sectional design was used to conduct this study at the faculty of nursing, Zagazig University, Egypt from the beginning of October to the beginning of November 2020.  Sample: A random sample of 425 students from all academic years .The tools used to collect the data were demographic data sheet, Yale Food Addiction Scale and Body mass index (BMI). Results: 17.2 % of the studied sample had food addiction according to Yale food addiction scale, 66.8% of the studied sample has normal weight and there were significant relationship between food addiction and BMI. Conclusion: the reported prevalence rates of food addiction had shown a significant effect on body mass index among Zagazig University Students. Recommendation: According to the results due to the present study, we recommend that; Educational   programs should be encouraged for Zagazig University Students to decrease the prevalence of food addiction and its health consequences.