[Perceived stress and its influence on the eating behaviours of students at the University of Moncton, Moncton Campus]. / Le stress perçu et son influence sur le comportement alimentaire des étudiants de l'Université de Moncton, Campus de Moncton.

PURPOSE: Measure and analyze the link between perceived stress and eating behaviours of first (St1) and fourth-year students (St4) at the University of Moncton at the beginning (T1) and end (T2) of an academic trimester. METHODS: Ninety-four subjects from various university programs participated in the study. The Perceived Stress scale was used to measure perceived stress. A three-day food record and a food frequency questionnaire were used to measure food consumption and its frequency. RESULTS: At T1, both first and fourth-year students show low levels of perceived stress. At T2, the perceived stress levels of St4 increase significantly (22,3 +/- 1,4; p =0,005) As stress increases, dietary profiles of students, measured according to the level of conformity to the Canada's Food Guide for Healthy Eating, show an increased consumption of milk and milk products for St1, T1 (p=0,05) and of breads and cereals for St4, T2 (p=0,02). Significant negative correlations were found among St4 between perceived stress and thiamine(r= -0,48; p=0,006) and zinc (r= -0,42; p=0,02). ingestion. No other correlations with perceived stress were found with either energy or other nutrient intakes. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate the importance of intervening within the university student population and implementing information sessions on stress management and healthy eating behaviours among university students.