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Dietary Patterns (Poster Session)

(P22-049-24) Added Sugar Intake and Perceived Stress Negatively Predicts Body Image in College Students

Monday, July 1, 2024
11:45 AM – 12:45 PM CT
Location: Poster Board 324
Disclosure(s):
Kayla L. Parsons, MS, RDN: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.


Objectives: Body appreciation influences eating behaviors among young adults. Additional research is required to understand how this construct relates to nutrient consumption within a population exhibiting poor diet quality (DQ). The objective was to determine if DQ, added sugar intake and perceived stress (PS) predicted body appreciation (BA) among a sample of college students.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among first-year nursing students enrolled in a northeastern university one week prior to the fall semester. Respondents completed an online questionnaire including Tylka’s Body Appreciation Scale and Cohen’s 10-item PS Scale. Total added sugar intake and DQ were measured using the short Healthy Eating Index. Inclusion criteria consisted of having full data sets and being 18 years of age or older. A hierarchical multiple regression was used to identify if PS, DQ, and added sugar intake predicted BA when controlling for gender.

Results: Participants (N=62) were mostly female (n=56, 90.3%), white (n=58, 93.5%) and on average 19.1±1.0 years old. Participants had an average BA score of 3.5 ± .8 out of 5, PS score of 17.5 ± 6.1 out of 40, and DQ of 50.9 ± 9.6, out of 100. Average added sugar intake in teaspoon equivalents was 26.9 ±17.7. When controlling for gender, added sugar intake (β=-.27, t=-2.28, p< .05) and PS (β=-.52, t=-4.68, p< .001) accounted for 36.5% of the variance in BA (F(3,56)=10.7, p< 0.001, r2=.33), where total DQ was not found to be a significant predictor in the model.

Conclusions: Young adults reported an unhealthy DQ, with high amounts of added sugar, coupled with high PS. Added sugar and PS predicted BA, suggesting further research is needed to understand how dietary choices and stress management interventions can work together to improve self-perception and move young adults closer to greater body appreciation.

Funding Sources: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)