Food for Thought: The Relationship Between Nutritional Habits and Mental Well-Being
Location
Room 232, Schewel Hall
Access Type
Campus Access Only
Start Date
4-17-2024 3:30 PM
End Date
4-17-2024 3:45 PM
College
Lynchburg College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Psychology
Abstract
This study was conducted to examine the relationship between nutritional habits and the presence of mental health disorder symptoms. The study was made up of 71 young adults who filled out a 24-hour food log using My Fitness Pal and then answered a questionnaire containing demographic questions, questions from the DASS-21 (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995), nutritional intake questions, and questions from the General Health Perceptions Subscale (Ware & Sherbourne, 1992). The major findings of the study found that there was no significance in nutrition predicting mental health outcomes. These findings may be reflected by the smaller sample size, a younger generation compared to previous research, and a short duration of logging nutrition habits. Exploratory analyses found that there were statistically significant negative correlations between general health perceptions and anxiety, stress, and depression. It was also found that those who worked out reported less anxiety, stress, and depression than those who did not, suggesting that physical exercise and health may be linked to mental health and well-being. Future research can be focused on creating a more diverse and larger sample that looks at nutrition habits for a longer duration of time. This study adds to previous research in the growing topic area of nutrition and mental health as it looks more at emerging young adults and demonstrates that nutrition may not factor into their mental health. This study also suggests that those who hold a gym membership and utilize it more often are less likely to experience symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Alisha Marciano
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Food for Thought: The Relationship Between Nutritional Habits and Mental Well-Being
Room 232, Schewel Hall
This study was conducted to examine the relationship between nutritional habits and the presence of mental health disorder symptoms. The study was made up of 71 young adults who filled out a 24-hour food log using My Fitness Pal and then answered a questionnaire containing demographic questions, questions from the DASS-21 (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995), nutritional intake questions, and questions from the General Health Perceptions Subscale (Ware & Sherbourne, 1992). The major findings of the study found that there was no significance in nutrition predicting mental health outcomes. These findings may be reflected by the smaller sample size, a younger generation compared to previous research, and a short duration of logging nutrition habits. Exploratory analyses found that there were statistically significant negative correlations between general health perceptions and anxiety, stress, and depression. It was also found that those who worked out reported less anxiety, stress, and depression than those who did not, suggesting that physical exercise and health may be linked to mental health and well-being. Future research can be focused on creating a more diverse and larger sample that looks at nutrition habits for a longer duration of time. This study adds to previous research in the growing topic area of nutrition and mental health as it looks more at emerging young adults and demonstrates that nutrition may not factor into their mental health. This study also suggests that those who hold a gym membership and utilize it more often are less likely to experience symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression.