Linking Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms with Diet Quality of University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study During the COVID-19 Pandemic in India

Overview

Journal Healthcare (Basel)

Specialty Health Services

Date 2022 Oct 27

PMID 36292298

Authors

Satyajit Kundu

Najneen Rejwana

Md Hasan Al Banna

Joseph Kawuki

Susmita Ghosh

Najim Z Alshahrani

Natisha Dukhi

Subarna Kundu

Rakhi Dey

John Elvis Hagan Jr

Christiana Naa Atsreh Nsiah-Asamoah

Suttur S Malini

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

This study examines the association of depressive and anxiety symptoms with diet quality among university students while controlling for different demographic and other health and lifestyle factors. This cross-sectional study was carried out between April 2021 and June 2021 among a total of 440 (unweighted) university students. Diet quality was assessed using a 10-item mini-dietary assessment index tool. The depressive and anxiety symptoms of participants were measured using the validated Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression and mediation analyses were performed. In this study, 61.1% (95% CI: 56.6% to 65.7%) of university students' diet quality was good during the COVID-19 pandemic. Being a post-graduate student, an urban resident, having no depressive (AOR = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.20 to 3.84) and anxiety symptoms (AOR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.07 to 3.59), no changes or improvement in appetite, and no changes in sleep duration were significantly associated with good diet quality among our study participants. Depressive and anxiety symptoms during COVID-19 had a significant effect on the diet quality of university students. Future public health policies need to be focused on improving the mental health and well-being of students particularly during pandemic situations to enhance their diet quality.

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