--- title: Is emotional eating linked to PMS in university women? | Niyora description: Yes. Female students with PMS, especially those with mood and behavior symptoms, were more likely to eat in response to emotions rather than hunger. Students url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/emotional-eating-is-associated-with-premenstrual-syndrome-among-university-2025/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Is emotional eating linked to PMS in university women? Survey study, 2025 # Is emotional eating linked to PMS in university women? Yes. Female students with PMS, especially those with mood and behavior symptoms, were more likely to eat in response to emotions rather than hunger. Students without PMS were less likely to do this. Moderate study design 450 female university students in Palestine ## What they did Researchers surveyed 450 female university students in Palestine. They asked about emotional eating, physical activity, diet quality, and PMS symptoms using standard questionnaires. ## What they found Students with more severe PMS symptoms were significantly more likely to report emotional eating, particularly those with mood and behavior changes. The link was strongest for mood and behavior PMS symptoms. Students without PMS reported the least emotional eating. However, emotional eating was not linked to weight, lifestyle factors, or overall diet quality. ## What it means for you PMS may increase the tendency to eat in response to emotions. However, this is a cross-sectional study, so we cannot tell whether PMS causes emotional eating or emotional eating worsens PMS. Understanding this connection could help develop better ways to support women with PMS. 450 Female university students surveyed ## About the study Original title Emotional eating is associated with premenstrual syndrome among university students in Palestine: A cross-sectional study Authors Wafa RAA, Abed MT, Jaber M et al. Journal Women's health (London, England) Year 2025 Study design Survey study Participants 450 What was tested None. This was a survey study. Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1177/17455057251401811](https://doi.org/10.1177/17455057251401811) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Appetite and food cravings](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-food-cravings/)[Exercise and yoga](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-exercise/)[Diet and nutrition](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-diet/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Survey study, 2021 Does exercise and diet affect PMS symptoms in teenagers? Randomised trial, 2026 Does aerobic or resistance exercise reduce anxiety in women with PMS? Lab study, 2026 Do core stability exercises help women with PMDD? Cohort study, 2026 Are diet and lifestyle linked to premenstrual symptoms in college students? Cohort study, 2026 Are stress, physical activity, and diet linked to premenstrual symptoms? Non-randomised trial, 2026 Does a lifestyle education program reduce PMS symptoms? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗