Exploring the role of psychological aspects in the eating behaviour of female university students in a South African context

Abstract

In South Africa people now find themselves in what is referred to as „the nutrition transition‟. Furthermore, a high prevalence of overweight as well as underweight and eating disorders have also been noted. Young woman have especially been found to be a vulnerable population group to develop abnormal eating behaviour. A significant amount of eating pathology is prevalent among female South African university students. Because of the severity of this problem various studies have been conducted to investigate pathological eating behaviour. However studies with a focus on general eating behaviour are still lacking. Psychological aspects have been identified as factors that play a role in eating behaviour; however a huge gap in literature further exploring this domain still seems evident. Female university students have been indicated to be a significant risk group to develop unhealthy eating, dieting or restrictive eating behaviours, emphasising why exploring the psychological aspects involved in their general eating behaviours is of critical importance. In the South African context a dire need exists for qualitative research in this domain. By using a qualitative approach and switching this study‟s focus to the general eating behaviour of female students, it will be possible to compile data with greater depth, and this will then lead to a better understanding of what psychological aspects play a role, why these aspects play a role and how they influence general eating behaviour. For the purpose of this study a criterion sampling method was used to establish the participants. All the participants were female students at the North -West University Potchefstroom Campus between the ages of 18-24 years. The final sample consisted of 13 participants and the data was collected by means of a demographic questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The thematic analysis process was then conducted to establish the relevant themes. The main themes identified were, firstly, that eating has great social importance. Furthermore, it was found that others perceptions as well as self-perceptions and social media influenced eating behaviour. With regard to emotional states it was indicated that personal stressors and a low mood influence eating patterns and eating related choices. It was also evident that stressors which were related to the university context played a big role in determining eating behaviour, such as academic stress and the adjustment to a new environment. This was one of the first qualitative studies conducted in this domain; thus, this study laid some of the groundwork for future research. This study identified the importance of taking psychological aspects into account when eating behaviours of female university students are explored. Furthermore, in order to develop efficient health enhancement or prevention programs, it is recommended that the findings of this study be taken into account. This study showed the importance of a holistic approach to human beings and emphasised the reciprocal effect physiological and psychological domains have on one another