Correlation between Stress, Self-esteem and Emotional Eating among MBBS Students in Central Gujarat, India: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Medical students are exposed to many stressors and if stress is perceived negatively or becomes excessive can affect academic performance and health. Existing literature shows that people with higher stress and lower self-esteem often use unhealthy coping mechanisms like emotional eating. Aim: To find the prevalence of perceived stress, sources of stress and their correlation with self-esteem and emotional eating in third year MBBS students as a part of their Evidence Generating Community Health Intervention Project (EviGenCHIP). Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted among third year MBBS students of Smt BK Shah Medical Institute and Research Centre in Vadodara, Gujarat, India, from June 2023 to September 2023 after obtaining Institutional Ethical approval. All students (150) of third year MBBS who gave a written informed consent were included in the study. Data was collected through online Google forms which consisted of demographic details {age, gender, place of residence and Body Mass Index (BMI)}, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Sources of stress scale, Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSES) and Emotional Eater Scale (EES). Descriptive and analytical statistical (Pearson’s correlation coefficient and unpaired t-test) methods using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) trial version 25 software were used. Results: A total of 134 students out of the total 150 enrolled in the study completed the form, of which 18 (13.43%) students had low stress, 106 (79%) had moderate and 10 (7.5 %) had high perceived stress. Time pressure, fear of failure, loneliness, poor motivation and poor teaching support were the most common sources of high stress. Thirty students (22.3%) had low selfesteem of which 5 (16.67%) had low stress, 19 (63.33%) had moderate stress and 6 (20%) students had high stress levels. A 75 (56%) students were emotional eaters of which 12 (16%) had low stress, 55 (73.34%) had moderate stress and 8 (10.66%) students had high stress levels. There were 11 students who had both low self-esteem and higher tendencies for emotional eating of which nine students had moderate levels of perceived stress and two had high levels of perceived stress. Those who had higher self-esteem reported lower levels of perceived stress (r=-0.61, p=<0.00001) and those who experienced higher perceived stress were more likely to be emotional eaters (r=0.27, p=0.0015). Conclusion: It is important for medical institutions to provide support and resources to manage stress effectively. This includes stress management programs, mental health services, promoting a healthy work-life balance, fostering self-esteem and developing emotional intelligence.