The Indian Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Impact of Covid-19 on Psychological Stress and its Association with Dietary Practices of Indian Youth (18-25 years)


Affiliations
1 Department of Foods, Nutrition and Dietetics, College of Home Science, Nirmala Niketen, Mumbai - 400 020, Maharastra
2 Department of Foods, Nutrition and Dietetics, College of Home Science, Nirmala Niketen, Mumbai - 400 020, Maharastra, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


Consequences of COVID-19 pandemic can have a detrimental impact on psychological health of youth. Eating in response to stress, emotional cues and boredom may lead to excess consumption of high fat and high sugar foods, adversely affecting physical as well as mental health. To assess the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on psychological health, dietary and lifestyle practices among youth. A total of 261 youth (18-25 years) residing in India were studied for psychological stress and dietary practices during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Participants were recruited in an online survey using snowball and convenience sampling techniques. An online questionnaire was designed to elicit information on socio-demographic details, physical activity, dietary habits and frequency of foods consumed before and during the pandemic. Covid-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI) was used to assess stress. As per the CPDI scores of 261 participants enrolled, 13% were severely stressed while 32.95% had mild-moderate stress. Daily exercise during lockdown significantly predicted CPDI scores (p<0.05). Frequency of consuming fried foods, soft drinks, desserts and fast-food prior and during the lockdown was significantly associated with stress whereas frequency of consuming nuts was negatively associated (p<0.05). Frequent snacking and consumption of outside food was also associated with CPDI scores (p<0.01). COVID-19 has adversely impacted mental health and dietary habits thereby leading to severe distress and disease risk among youth. Stress management and adaptation of healthy diet and lifestyle should be recommended as a nonpharmacological approach towards holistic health among youth.

Keywords

COVID-19, Dietary Habits, Psychological Stress, Mental Health, Physical Activity
User
Notifications

  • World Health Organization (WHO). Mental Health and psychosocial considerations during the COVID-19 outbreak. WHO Publication. 2020- [cited 2020 June 8]. Available from: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-2019-nCoV-MentalHealth-2020.1

  • International Labour Organization. Youth and Covid-19: Impacts on Jobs, Education, Rights and Mental well-being, Survey Report. 2020- [cited 2020 June 15]. Available from: https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/documents/publication/wcms_753026.pdf

  • Torres, S.J. and Nowson, C.A. Relationship between stress, eating behavior and obesity. Nutr., 2007, 23, 887-894.

  • Wang, G., Zhang, Y., Zhao, J., Zhang, J. and Jiang, F. Mitigate the effects of home confinement on children during the COVID-19 outbreak. The Lancet, 2020, 395, 945-947.

  • Moynihan, A.B., Tilburg, W.A.P. van, Igou, E.R., Wisman, A., Donnelly, A.E. and Mulcaire, J.B. Eaten up by boredom: Consuming food to escape awareness of the bored self. Front. Psychol., 2015, 6, 369.

  • Fuhrman, J. The hidden dangers of fast and processed Food. Am. J. Lifestyle Med., 2018, 12, 375-381.

  • Fulkerson, J.A., Friend, S., Horning, M., Flattum, C., Draxten, M., Neumark-Sztainer, D. and Kubik, M.Y. Family home food environment and nutrition-related parent and child personal and behavioral outcomes of the healthy Home Offerings via the Mealtime Environment (HOME) Plus Program: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J. Aca. Nutr. Diet., 2018, 118, 240-251.

  • World Medical Association. World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki. Ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects. Bull. World Health Organization, 2001, 79, 373-374.

  • World Health Organization. The Asia-Pacific perspective : Redefining obesity and its treatment, 2000.

  • Qiu, J., Shen, B., Zhao, M., Wang, Z., Xie, B. and Xu, Y. A nationwide survey of psychological distress among Chinese people in the COVID-19 epidemic: Implications and policy recommendations. General Psych., 2020, 633, 100213.

  • Chandu, V.C., Marella, Y., Panga, G.S., Pachava, S. and Vadapalli, V. Measuring the impact of COVID-19 on mental health: A scoping review of the existing scales. Ind. J. Psychol. Med., 2020, 42, 421-427.

  • Jiménez, M.P., Rieker, J.A., Reales, J.M. and Ballesteros, S. COVID-19 Peritraumatic distress as a function of age and gender in a Spanish sample. Int. J. Environ. Res. Pub. Healt., 2021, 18, 5253.

  • El-Abasiri, R.A., Marzo, R.R., Abdelaziz, H., Boraii, S. and Abdelaziz, D.H. Evaluating the psychological distress of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in Egypt. Eur. J. Mol. Clin. Med., 2020, 7, 1-12.

  • Ramasubramanian, V., Mohandoss, A.A., Rajendhiran, G., Pandian, P.R.S. and Ramasubramanian, C. Statewide survey of psychological distress among people of Tamil Nadu in the COVID-19 pandemic. Ind. J. Psychol. Med., 2020, 42, 368-373.

  • Shrestha, D.B., Thapa, B.B., Katuwal, N., Shrestha, B., Pant, C., Basnet, B. and Rouniyar, R. Psychological distress in Nepalese residents during COVID-19 pandemic: A community level survey. BMC Psych., 2020, 20, 491.

  • Krüger-Malpartida, H., Pedraz-Petrozzi, B., Arevalo-Flores, M., Samalvides-Cuba, F., Anculle-Arauco, V. and Dancuart-Mendoza, M. Effects on mental health after the COVID-19 lockdown period: Results from a population survey study in Lima, Peru. Clin. Med. Insights: Psych., 2020, 11, 117955732098042.

  • Schneiderman, N., Ironson, G. and Siegel, S.D. Stress and health: Psychological, behavioral and biological determinants. Ann. Rev. Clin. Psychol., 2005, 1, 607-628.

  • Stainback, K., Hearne, B.N. and Trieu, M.M. COVID-19 and the 24/7 news cycle: Does COVID-19 news exposure affect mental health? Socius: Sociolog. Res. Dyna. World, 2020, 6, 237802312096933.

  • Herbert, C., Meixner, F., Wiebking, C. and Gilg, V. Regular physical activity, short-term exercise, mental health, and well-being among university students: The results of an online and a laboratory Study. Front. Psychol., 2020, 11, 509.

  • Alsalhe, T.A., Aljaloud, S.O., Chalghaf, N., Guelmami, N., Alhazza, D.W., Azaiez, F. and Bragazzi, N.L. Moderation effect of physical activity on the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and general distress: A pilot case study in Arabic countries. Front. Psychol., 2020, 11, 1-11.

  • Husain, W. and Ashkanani, F. Does COVID-19 change dietary habits and lifestyle behaviours in Kuwait: A community-based cross-sectional study. Environ. Heal. Preven. Med., 2020, 25, 61.

  • Kissler, S.M., Tedijanto, C., Goldstein, E., Grad, Y.H. and Lipsitch, M. Projecting the transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 through the postpandemic period. Sci., 2020, 368, 860-868.

  • Füzéki, E., Groneberg, D.A. and Banzer, W. Physical activity during COVID-19 induced lockdown: Recommendations. J. Occupat. Med. Toxicol., 2020, 15, 25.

  • Reed, J. and Ones, D.S. The effect of acute aerobic exercise on positive activated affect: A meta-analysis. Psychol. Sport. Exerc., 2006, 7, 477-514.

  • Crush, E.A., Frith, E. and Loprinzi, P.D. Experimental effects of acute exercise duration and exercise recovery on mood state. J. Affec. Disord., 2018, 229, 282-287.

  • Deschasaux-Tanguy, M., Druesne-Pecollo, N., Esseddik, Y., de Edelenyi, F.S., Allès, B., Andreeva, V.A. and Touvier, M. Diet and physical activity during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown (March–May 2020): Results from the French NutriNet-Santé cohort study. The Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 2021, 113, 924-938.

  • Bhutani, S. and Cooper, J.A. COVID-19- Related home confinement in adults: Weight gain risks and opportunities. Obes., 2020, 28, 1576-1577.

  • Firth, J., Marx, W., Dash, S., Carney, R., Teasdale, S.B., Solmi, M. and Sarris, J. The effects of dietary improvement on symptoms of depression and anxiety: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Psychosom. Med., 2019, 81, 265-280.

  • Carvalho, K., Ronca, D., Michels, N., Huybrechts, I., Cuenca-Garcia, M., Marcos, A. and Carvalho, L. Does the Mediterranean diet protect against stress-induced inflammatory activation in European adolescents? The HELENA Study. Nutr., 2018, 10, 1770.

  • Ruiz-Roso, M.B., de Carvalho Padilha, P., Mantilla-Escalante, D.C., Ulloa, N., Brun, P., Acevedo-Correa, D. and Dávalos, A. Covid-19 Confinement and changes of adolescent’s dietary trends in Italy, Spain, Chile, Colombia and Brazil. Nutrients, 2020, 12, 1807.

  • Mills, S., Brown, H., Wrieden, W., White, M. and Adams, J. Frequency of eating home cooked meals and potential benefits for diet and health: Cross-sectional analysis of a population-based cohort study. Int. J. Behav. Nutr. Phys. Activ., 2017, 14, 109.

  • Liu, J., Rehm, C.D., Micha, R. and Mozaffarian, D. Quality of meals consumed by US adults at full-service and fast-food restaurants, 2003-2016: Persistent low quality and widening disparities. J. Nutr., 2020, 150, 873-883.


Abstract Views: 137

PDF Views: 1




  • Impact of Covid-19 on Psychological Stress and its Association with Dietary Practices of Indian Youth (18-25 years)

Abstract Views: 137  |  PDF Views: 1

Authors

Chandni Chopra
Department of Foods, Nutrition and Dietetics, College of Home Science, Nirmala Niketen, Mumbai - 400 020, Maharastra
Subhadra Mandalika
Department of Foods, Nutrition and Dietetics, College of Home Science, Nirmala Niketen, Mumbai - 400 020, Maharastra, India
Narendra Kinger
Department of Foods, Nutrition and Dietetics, College of Home Science, Nirmala Niketen, Mumbai - 400 020, Maharastra, India

Abstract


Consequences of COVID-19 pandemic can have a detrimental impact on psychological health of youth. Eating in response to stress, emotional cues and boredom may lead to excess consumption of high fat and high sugar foods, adversely affecting physical as well as mental health. To assess the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on psychological health, dietary and lifestyle practices among youth. A total of 261 youth (18-25 years) residing in India were studied for psychological stress and dietary practices during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Participants were recruited in an online survey using snowball and convenience sampling techniques. An online questionnaire was designed to elicit information on socio-demographic details, physical activity, dietary habits and frequency of foods consumed before and during the pandemic. Covid-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI) was used to assess stress. As per the CPDI scores of 261 participants enrolled, 13% were severely stressed while 32.95% had mild-moderate stress. Daily exercise during lockdown significantly predicted CPDI scores (p<0.05). Frequency of consuming fried foods, soft drinks, desserts and fast-food prior and during the lockdown was significantly associated with stress whereas frequency of consuming nuts was negatively associated (p<0.05). Frequent snacking and consumption of outside food was also associated with CPDI scores (p<0.01). COVID-19 has adversely impacted mental health and dietary habits thereby leading to severe distress and disease risk among youth. Stress management and adaptation of healthy diet and lifestyle should be recommended as a nonpharmacological approach towards holistic health among youth.

Keywords


COVID-19, Dietary Habits, Psychological Stress, Mental Health, Physical Activity

References