IOSR Journal of Nursing and Health Science (IOSR-JNHS) e-ISSN: 2320–1959.p- ISSN: 2320–1940 Volume 5, Issue 2 Ver. III (Mar. - Apr. 2016), PP 40-49 www.iosrjournals.org DOI: 10.9790/1959-0502034049 www.iosrjournals.org 40 | Page The Effect of Dietary Patterns and Psychological Factors on Overweight and Obesity among University Students Maha Moussa Mohamed Moussa (1) , Eman Saleh Shahin (2) and Shereen Ahmed Ahmed Qalawa (3) (1) Lecturer, Department of Community Health Nursing , Faculty of Nursing, Port Said University. (2,3) Assistant professor, Department of Medical Surgical Nursing,Port Said University, Arab District, Oraby and El- Etehad street, Port Said City , Arab Republic Of Egypt. Postcode/Zip code: 42512 Abstract Background: Obesity is a paramount public health problem in both developed and developing countries. Objectives: The aim of the study was to estimate prevalence of obesity among university students and explore its association with dietary patterns and psychological factors . Methods: This is a cross-section descriptive study including 849 students selected from the faculties of physical education, education, nursing, sciences, commerce, Kindergarten, engineering, specific education, and high institute of Administration and computer, Post Said University, Egypt. Data was collected through a self- administered questionnaire covering socio-demographic characteristics, assessment of dietary habits, and psychological factors. Weight and height were measured and body mass index was calculated. Results: The overall prevalence of obesity was 12.5.% and overweight was 34.7%. It is significantly higher among male vs. female (13.0 % vs 11.4%), 20 years & more than <20year (14.6% vs 6.1%) and married vs single (28.6% vs 10.9). While, there are no significant relationship between obesity and all psychological factors. Conclusion: The present study concluded that the university students had high prevalence of obesity associated with poor level of dietary pattern and there was no significant relationship between obesity and all psychological factors. Otherwise, in order to generalize the present study results further studies regarding obesity prevention and improvement of nutritional knowledge, dietary pattern, and life style in different geographical areas and large study sample size should be emphasized. Key words: Effect, dietary pattern, Psychological factors, obesity, university, students. I. Introduction One of the most basic needs for human being is nutrition which considered an issue of great importance. Traditionally, hunger and lack of food resources in what is now referred to as low income countries have been a matter of concern, but during the last decades, lots of attention has been paid to the negative consequences of food surplus. The dietary habits have changed considerably during a short period of time due to great economical development, with unhealthy food becoming more accessible and also cheaper than healthy food. This have lead to a great increase in consumption of this type of food, and, in turn, a lot of undesirable health consequences causing a strong and growing concern from health governments and medical specialists (Henningsen , 2011). World health organization (WHO) nutritional recommendations for populations and individuals include the following; achieve energy balance and healthy weight, limit energy intake from total fat and shift fat consumption, away from saturated fat to unsaturated, increase consumption of fruits, vegetables and legumes, whole grain and nuts, limit the intake of free sugar, limit salt consumption from all sources and ensure that salt is iodized. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables not only aids in weight management, but also has been associated with decreased risk of chronic diseases (CDS, 2008). Most of the world's population live in countries where overweight and obesity kill more people than underweight (this includes all high-income and most middle-income countries (WHO,2011, Ibrahim et al. ,2014).Obesity is a paramount public health threat in the U.S. Approximately two-thirds of the adult population is overweight. A staggering 70 percent of adult Egyptian women and 48 percent of men suffers from obesity and overweight. Obesity affects about two-thirds of urban and one-third of rural men, and over 80% of urban and 56% of rural women) (Charabel 2009 ,Samy etal.2012). Various studies in Egypt blame the problem on bad eating habits, economic prosperity and absence of a health conscious culture Therefore, it is important to understand the relationships between occupational stress, obesity, and dietary habits. However, few research studies have characterized these relationships (Witten, 2009). The effect of weight gain on college students may lead to physical and emotional problems that could continue into adulthood. Identifying behavioral, demographic, and psychological factors that impact college student’s weight status could aid in developing