Association between test anxiety and eating behaviors among final-year high school students
Nutrition and Food Science, ss.1-13, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1108/nfs-01-2026-0010
- Dergi Adı: Nutrition and Food Science
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus, Hospitality & Tourism Complete, Hospitality & Tourism Index, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Natural Science Collection (ProQuest), Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest), Materials Science & Engineering Collection (ProQuest), Technology Collection (ProQuest)
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1-13
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Adolescents, Eating behaviors, High school students, Test anxiety, Türkiye
- Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Purpose – This study aimed to examine the association between test anxiety and eating behaviors, including emotional, restrictive and external eating, among final-year high school students preparing for university entrance examinations in Türkiye. Design/methodology/approach – This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between February and March 2022 in 21 public high schools in Türkiye. A total of 420 students completed the study questionnaire, and 408 were included in the final analyses after data screening. Data were collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ), and the Westside Test Anxiety Scale (WTAS). Descriptive statistics, group comparisons, Spearman correlation analyses and multivariable linear regression analyses were performed. Findings – Female students had higher DEBQ total scores than male students (87.4 ± 21.9 vs 77.0 ± 22.3, p < 0.001), as well as higher emotional eating (33.1 ± 14.2 vs 26.8 ± 14.0, p < 0.001), restrictive eating (21.4 ± 9.2 vs 19.8 ± 8.6, p = 0.029) and external eating scores (32.9 ± 9.6 vs 30.4 ± 9.5, p = 0.017). Male students had higher WTAS scores than female students (31.5 ± 10.3 vs 28.7 ± 9.7, p = 0.008). WTAS scores were weakly and negatively correlated with DEBQ total scores (ρ = −0.16, p = 0.001), emotional eating (ρ = −0.15, p = 0.003) and external eating (ρ = −0.14, p = 0.005), but not with restrictive eating (ρ = −0.04, p = 0.389). In adjusted models, DEBQ total score was inversely associated with WTAS score (ß = −0.05, SE = 0.02, p = 0.012), while WTAS score was inversely associated with emotional eating (ß = −0.20, SE = 0.07, p = 0.003) and external eating (ß = −0.13, SE = 0.05, p = 0.010), but not with restrictive eating (ß = −0.05, SE = 0.04, p = 0.243). Research limitations/implications – The study is limited by its cross-sectional design, which precludes causal inference. Data were based on self-report measures, potentially introducing response bias. The sample was restricted to public high schools in a single national context, limiting generalizability. Future longitudinal and multi-country studies are recommended to further clarify causal pathways. Practical implications – School-based health, nutrition and counseling services may benefit from monitoring eating-related behaviors together with test anxiety among students preparing for high-stakes examinations. Social implications – In this sample, test anxiety was weakly and inversely associated with eating behavior scores, particularly emotional and external eating, and both constructs differed by gender. Because the study was cross-sectional and relied on self-report measures, the findings should be interpreted as associations rather than causal relationships. Originality/value – This study contributes evidence from Turkish final-year high school students preparing for university entrance examinations, a population that has received limited attention in the literature on test anxiety and eating behaviors.