CHAPTER 4: DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
4.4 Factors that influence college students’ choice of food consumption patterns
4.4.4 Study related stress led to disorganised and erratic feeding schedules among both resident and non-resident student
All students interviewed reported they underwent a very strenuous study schedule at college, to the extent that the last thing they could think of was eating. It is not an exaggeration to claim that college students are confronted by a multitude of stressors as evidenced by the responses given during the interviews such as financial constraints, study stress to mention a few. Different stressors such as time
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management, financial problems, sleep deprivation, social activities and for some students even having children can all pose their own threat to a student‟s food consumption patterns and consequently academic performance (Ivanovic et al., 2010:59). Stress appeared to alter these students‟ overall food intake in two ways, resulting in under or overeating, which may be influenced by stressor severity. On the side of students who were under-eating one student participant stated that due to study related stress, she lost appetite and as a result would skip meals,
When I am too busy most of the times I lose appetite and can‟t eat and sometimes I even forget to eat.
According to Rogers and Pilgrim, (2003) cited in Mental Health Foundation, (2011:117) eating is thought to be suppressed during stress, due to anorectic effects of corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) and increased during recovery from stress, due to appetite stimulating effects of residual cortisol. CRH is produced in an area of the brain that controls body temperature, hunger and thirst. CRH is termed the stress hormone because it is secreted in higher levels during the body‟s response to stress and is responsible for correcting several stress-related changes in the body.
Sungthong, Mo-suwan and Chongsuvivatwong, (2002:117) point out that one of the main issues with stress is that it can cause unhealthy eating habits and places emphasis on the consumption of fruits and vegetables because they contain dietary antioxidants which may improve cognitive function during stress. Stress-induced eating may be one factor contributing to the development of obesity (Huang et al., 2003:52). Thus, the establishment of functional foods that correctly regulate stress response must be firmly based upon scientific knowledge and legal regulation for students to effectively manage their dietary patterns during stress.
On the other hand where over-eating was established, contrary to the above sentiment another student indicated that she eats a lot when stressed with school work as a result, she ate anything at any time and had this to say,
And also when I am stressed with a lot of schoolwork or maybe after failing an assignment I find myself wanting to eat and eat not because I will be feeling hungry but I feel relieved by eating.
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This is an indicator of poor nutritional practices which result in students consuming more calories than needed hence the onset of overweight and obesity. Additionally, stress makes the body crave foods that are high in fats and sugars (Ivanovic et al., 2010:17) and these pose negative effects on the health of the students which would compromise on their academic performance.
Another student also mentioned that:
I eat and the times that I eat are determined by the college and the work load I have on a particular day will tell what time I eat especially after supper because if I have a lot of assignments I stay up to maybe mid night and I will need something to eat in order to keep me going. Sometimes I do not have pocket money and nothing to eat in the hostel. It‟s very difficult to do assignments but if I have I eat. Sometimes when you have little money like R1 and you want to buy maputi others will laugh at you and you end up not buying. It‟s so painful because sometimes you just have to fall in love with someone so that he may buy you food not because you love them.
Most studies perceive college students‟ stress as emanating from a wide range of stressful events such as leaving home for the first time, developing of entirely new social contacts, being responsible for their own needs, academic work and many others (Rafidah et al., 2009:14; Ryan, 2004:252). Hence, the many stressors may affect the students‟ food behaviours and consequently their academic performance.
From the sentiments echoed above it can be surmised as (Pearlin, 1996:20) affirms that these constellations of stressors may form because the conditions that underlie exposure to one set of stressors may also bring about exposure to others. The finding suggests that some students develop immoral behaviours so that they get food, due to stress and lack of concentration on college work resulting in bad food behaviours.
In terms of Maslow‟s theory, the students have to first look for food to satisfy the biological deficiency of food needs before they can set themselves to any meaningful academic undertaking. If they have to satisfy this deficiency need through immoral means, it means further multiplication of stressors as culturally, the immoral behaviour is censured by the community.
122 Another student intimated that:
Findings of this study also unveiled that the type of students‟ residential accommodation while in college also poses stress on the students.
One student indicated that:
As a non-resident student sometimes pressure of work makes me not to cook at all. I rarely take breakfast because it will be too early for me to eat as I leave home very early because I stay far from college and will carry bread and drink to drink at break time then I do not eat anything at lunch and will only eat at night when I come back home where I stay and sometimes have bread and drink or tea because I will be too tired of spending the whole day in class and walking almost 6km to and fro every day.
Most of the times I get home and there is no electricity because of the load shedding.
Understandably, since the non-resident students have to source and prepare food for themselves, it stands to reason that when they are hard pressed by college academic work, they are thus exposed to erratic eating schedules. Thus the stress experienced from their busy schedules should make the students conscious of the need to plan and have well planned meals. Torres and Nowson, (2007:890) also states that high stress levels influence food habits and lead to poor academic performance.
Relationship between stress and nutrition on academic work lies on the notion put forward by Rogers (2001:135) that a healthy body is able to maintain a healthy mind, meaning that certain risk factors for a physically ill health are also risk factors for depression and cognitive impairment.
4.4.5 Unplanned haphazard food consumption patterns for non-resident