Abstract
BACKGROUND: Having a weight problem can cause emotional distress, especially in students, who suffer from both issues at a high rate. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic's negative impact on society, these problems can be significantly impacted. The study aims to investigate the relationship between nursing students' BMI and their mental well-being. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 423 students from the second through fourth baccalaureate years of Science of Nursing program - KSA. The instrument for the study was an online questionnaire distributed to the students via Google Forms during the academic year 2021-2022 to collect data on the emotional state of students directly as a result of COVID-19 restrictions and limitations. The statistical analysis was carried out through Chi-square test was used to compare categorical data between groups and the Pearson coefficient is used to determine the correlation between two quantitative variables with normal distribution. RESULTS: There is a significant correlation between BMI with depression score, anxiety score and stress score. Higher BMI indicated 6.4 times more likeliness to have depression than lower BMI (OR = 6.4). Students who had higher BMI were 2.7 times more likely to have anxiety than those who had lower BMI (OR = 2.7), and 9.4 times more likely to have stress than those who had lower BMI (OR = 9.4). CONCLUSION: Study findings indicate that nursing students' BMI increases as depression, anxiety, and stress increase. During the COVID-19 pandemic, participants reported increased weight due to increased stress levels and increased eating. Students in nursing should be aware of the importance of adopting healthy habits and following a healthy lifestyle.