Associations of Functional Dyspepsia with Eating Behaviors and Stress-Coping Styles Among Japanese University Students.

Background/

Objectives

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is relatively common among young adults and is increasingly understood within the framework of brain-gut interactions. Eating behaviors and psychological distress may be related to FD, but evidence in young adults remains limited. This study examined the associations between FD and eating behaviors and depressive symptoms among university students.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted during health checkups. A total of 4328 students (2232 males and 2096 females) completed questionnaires assessing FD symptoms based on Rome IV, eating behaviors (EAT-26 and BITE), depressive symptoms (BDI-II), and coping styles (CISS). We compared scores between students with and without FD and performed multivariable logistic regression including gender, BMI, sleep, eating behaviors, and depressive symptoms.

Results

The prevalence of questionnaire-based FD was 6.1% in males and 7.2% in females. Students with FD had higher EAT-26, BITE, BDI-II, and emotion-oriented coping scores. In multivariable logistic regression, EAT-26 ≥ 10 (OR: 1.92, 95% CI: 1.26-2.91, p = 0.002), BITE ≥ 10 (OR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.01-2.08, p = 0.04), BDI-II ≥ 10 (OR: 3.83, 95% CI: 2.97-4.95, p < 0.001), and BMI < 18.5 kg/m2 (OR: 1.74, 95% CI: 1.31-2.31, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with FD; gender and sleep were not.

Conclusions

FD was associated with disordered eating behaviors, depressive symptoms, and low BMI. Differences in emotion-oriented coping were observed between groups. These findings suggest that integrating assessments of gastrointestinal symptoms, eating behaviors, and psychological factors may inform early detection and support at university.