Hemşirelik Öğrencilerinde Sosyal Görünüş Kaygısı ve Yeme Farkındalığı

Objective: This study aimed to determine the relationship between social appearance anxiety and mindful eating in nursing students, as well as the factors affecting them.
Material and Method: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with nursing students (n=479) at a university, located in the West Region of Turkiye, between September and December in 2019. The data were collected using the Sociodemographic Information Form, the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale (SAAS), and the Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ).
Results: Female participants had significantly higher emotional eating, consciousness and mindfulness subscale scores than male participants. Total SAAS scores of students with overweight or obesity were statistically higher and mean scores of disinhibition and eating control subscales of MEQ were statistically lower than others (p<0.05). Those who think they were overweight/obese had the highest SAAS score and lowest MEQ score (p<0.05). Mindful eating was inversely related to the social appearance anxiety. Regression model showed that nursing students with high SAAS scores also had low MEQ scores.
Conclusion: The links between nursing students' eating behavior and social appearance anxiety should be comprehensively addressed. Interventions targeted to gain healthy eating habits and stress reduction may require collaboration with other disciplines and will help nursing students to promote health.