The Relationship Between Stress and Eating （压力和饮食之间的关系）.pdf

World Applied Sciences Journal 4 (2): 233-237, 2008 ISSN 1818-4952 © IDOSI Publications, 2008 The Relationship Between Stress and Eating Behaviors among Turkish Adolescence 1Nev n Sanl er and 2 Ayse D lek Ogret r 1Faculty of Commerce and Tourism Education Golba , Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey 2Department of Child Development Education, Faculty of Vocational Education, Gazi University, Teknikokullar, 06500 Ankara, Turkey Abstract: The study aims to investigate the effect of stress on body weight (BMI) and eating behaviors in a sample of 889 Turkish adolescents (14-25 ages). A “personal information form” was gathered information about adolescents and their families. The “types of coping with stress scale” were used to detect the stress level and the worries of adolescents. The “eating behavior scale” was prepared to collect information on their eating habits. The reliability and validity of the Eating Behavior Scale (EBS) developed by anl er and Ogretir [13] were established.The study found that female adolescents underwent stress more than male adolescents. Also, there were statistically significant differences between females who perceived more need for social support, eating with positive and negative moods than males. The males scored higher on being optimists than females with a statistically significant result. If adolescents know their personality features, they can determine the degree of the prevention from stress. Also, they can link their ability to adapt themselves to environment and past experiences in parallel with the changes. Key words: Stress Eating behaviors Adolescence BMI Weight Turkey INTRODUCTION Adolescence