Table 1 Background characteristics of the study sample by gender (n = 424)
|  | Males (n = 201) % (n) | Females (n = 223) % (n) | P-value* | All (n = 424) % (n) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mean Age | 20.4 (SD = 1.6) | 20.0 (SD = 1.6) | 0.014 | 20.2 (SD = 1.6) |
Place of birth | Â | Â | 0.593 | Â |
 Hong Kong | 84.1% (169) | 80.3% (179) |  | 82.1% (348) |
 China | 10.4% (21) | 13.0% (29) |  | 11.8% (50) |
 Other | 5.5% (11) | 6.7% (15) |  | 6.1% (26) |
Parent’s education level |  |  | 0.911 |  |
 Up to high school | 58.21% (117) | 58.74% (131) |  | 58.49% (248) |
 University or more | 41.79% (84) | 41.26% (92) |  | 41.51% (176) |
Faculty |  |  | < 0.001 |  |
 Arts/ Education | 5.47% (11) | 30.9% (69) |  | 18.9% (80) |
 Business | 18.4% (37) | 13.5% (30) |  | 15.8% (67) |
 Social Science | 8.46% (17) | 12.6% (28) |  | 10.6% (45) |
 Science/Engineering | 40.3% (81) | 14.8% (33) |  | 26.9% (114) |
 Law | 6.0% (12) | 4.04% (9) |  | 5.0% (21) |
 Medicine/Dentistry | 21.4% (43) | 24.2% (54) |  | 22.9% (97) |
Religious affiliation | Â | Â | 0.533 | Â |
 Protestant | 18.9% (38) | 23.3% (52) |  | 21.2% (90) |
 Catholic | 4.0% (8) | 2.7% (6) |  | 3.3% (14) |
 Buddhist | 3.0% (6) | 1.8% (4) |  | 2.4% (10) |
 No religion | 74.1% (149) | 72.2% (161) |  | 73.1% (310) |
Housing | Â | Â | 0.548 | Â |
 Live at home | 43.3% (87) | 46.2% (103) |  | 44.8% (190) |
 Dorm or elsewhere | 56.7% (114) | 53.8% (120) |  | 55.2% (234) |
Part-time job | Â | Â | 0.522 | Â |
 Yes | 50.3% (101) | 53.4% (119) |  | 51.9% (220) |
 No | 49.8% (100) | 46.6% (104) |  | 48.1% (204) |
Boyfriend/girlfriend | Â | Â | 0.680 | Â |
 Yes | 57.2% (115) | 59.2% (132) |  | 58.3% (247) |
 No | 42.8% (86) | 40.8% (91) |  | 41.8% (177) |
Exercising at least moderately | Â | Â | 0.049 | Â |
 Yes | 34.3% (69) | 25.6% (57) |  | 29.7% (126) |
 No | 65.7% (132) | 74.4% (166) |  | 70.3% (298) |
Mean Life satisfaction score (SD)a | 3.6 (SD = 0.6) | 3.6 (SD = 0.6) | 0.959 | 3.6 (SD = 0.6) |
Mean Perceived health score b(SD) | 3.9 (SD = 0.7) | 3.6 (SD = 0.7) | < 0.001 | 3.7 (SD = 0.7) |
Mean Body Mass Index (SD) | 22.0 (SD = 2.4) | 20.6 (SD = 2.8) | < 0.001 | 21.3 (SD = 2.7) |
Mean Emotional Eating Score (SD) | 1.87 (SD = 0.7) | 2.42 (SD = 0.9) | < 0.001 | 2.16 (SD = 0.8) |
 DEBQ score ≤ 3.25 | 95.5% (192) | 85.2% (190) | < 0.001 | 90.1% (382) |
 DEBQ score > 3.25 | 4.5% (9) | 14.8% (33) |  | 9.9% (42) |
DASS-21 Depression levels |  |  | < 0.001 |  |
 Normal (0–9 points) | 84.1% (169) | 65.9% (147) |  | 74.5% (316) |
 Mild (10–13 points) | 10.5% (21) | 13.0% (29) |  | 11.8% (50) |
 Moderate (14–20 points) | 4.0% (8) | 15.3% (34) |  | 9.9% (42) |
 Severe (21–27 points) | 1.49% (3) | 4.93% (11) |  | 3.3% (14) |
 Extremely Severe (28+ points) | 0.0% (0) | 0.90% (2) |  | 0.47% (2) |
DASS-21 Anxiety levels | Â | Â | 0.002 | Â |
 Normal (0–7 points) | 88.6% (178) | 72.6% (162) |  | 80.2% (340) |
 Mild (8–9 points) | 2.5% (5) | 6.7% (15) |  | 4.7% (20) |
 Moderate (10–14 points) | 6.5% (13) | 13.0% (29) |  | 9.9% (42) |
 Severe (15–19 points) | 0.5% (1) | 2.2% (5) |  | 1.4% (6) |
 Extremely Severe (20+ points) | 2.0% (4) | 5.4% (12) |  | 3.8% (16) |
DASS-21 Stress levels |  |  | < 0.001 |  |
 Normal (0–14 points) | 94.5% (190) | 84.8% (189) |  | 89.4% (379) |
 Mild (15–18 points) | 0.50% (1) | 7.2% (16) |  | 4.0% (17) |
 Moderate (19–25 points) | 2.0% (4) | 7.6% (17) |  | 5.0% (21) |
 Severe (26–33 points) | 3.0% (6) | 0.4% (1) |  | 1.7% (7) |
 Extremely Severe (34+ points) | 0.0% (0) | 0.0% (0) |  | 0.0% (0) |