Cross- sectional analysis of stress and Dietary pattern among adults

AbstractThe objective of this study was to assess prevalence of Stress in young adults and to ascertain therelation with socio-demographic characteristics and dietary habits.Cross-sectional survey wasconducted in 2024-2025 in (Gurugram)India. The analytic sample included (n=1000) young adults(52.6% male and 47.4% female) aged 18-35 years. The Cohen Perceived stress scale (PSS) was usedto measure the individual depressive state. Dietary habits assessed using a self-constructed questionnaire validated through expert reviews. The relation between stress, dietary habits and socio-demographic variables were studied using Karl Pearson correlation, ANOVA and student t test.A significant number of the participating young adults were male (52.6%), with the majority agedbetween 26-30 years (43.2%). majority of participants resided in nuclear families (77.4%), and thehighest representation was in the high-income category (39.2%). Most participants were married(59.4%). Among them, 34.4% had a BMI that categorized them as overweight, with a higherincidence in male participants (18.2%) compared to female participants (16.8%). The majority ofparticipants reported moderate stress levels (49.8%). The results comparing stress and dietary habitsscores with sociodemographic factors indicated that males and those in the high-income group aged31-35 were under significant stress. Women tended to adopt healthier dietary patterns, while the 26-30age group made healthier food choices, and middle-income individuals showed better dietary patterns.Correlation analysis showed a significant negative correlation between poor dietary choices and stressamong young working adults (r=-0.354, p < 0.001). The majority of young adults were overweightwith moderate stress and had average dietary habits. stress was associated with poorer dietary habitsamong young adults.