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Guzman S, Melara RD. Effects of Covid-19-related anxiety on overeating and weight gain in a diverse college sample. JOURNAL OF AMERICAN COLLEGE HEALTH : J OF ACH 2024:1-9. [PMID: 38579128 DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2024.2337009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has been linked with caloric overeating and weight gain. We employed a mediation analysis to determine whether pandemic-associated overeating was a direct effect of Covid-19-related anxiety (affect regulation theory) or mediated by a coping mechanism of escape eating (escape theory). A diverse pool of college students participated in a repeated cross-sectional study during three separate waves: May 2021 (wave 1, n = 349), December 2021 (wave 2, n = 253), and March 2022 (wave 3, n = 132). The results revealed a significant indirect effect of Covid-19-related anxiety on high-caloric overeating mediated by escape eating, but no direct path between Covid-19-related anxiety and caloric overeating. Analysis of racial/ethnic status uncovered significantly greater Covid-weight gain in Hispanic participants compared with White, Black, and Asian participants. Our results suggest that Covid-19 weight gain is a byproduct of a mediated escape mechanism differentially affecting racial/ethnic groups.
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Wilson NA, Villani A, Tan SY, Mantzioris E. UniStArt: A 12-Month Prospective Observational Study of Body Weight, Dietary Intake, and Physical Activity Levels in Australian First-Year University Students. Biomedicines 2022; 10:2241. [PMID: 36140342 PMCID: PMC9496163 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10092241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Students in the United States gain weight significantly during their first year of university, however limited data are available for Australian students. Methods: This 12-month observational study was conducted to monitor monthly body weight and composition, as well as quarterly eating behaviours, dietary intake, physical activity, sedentary behaviours, and basal metabolic rate changes amongst first-year Australian university students. Participants were first-year university students over 18 years. Results: Twenty-two first-year university students (5 males and 17 females) completed the study. Female students gained weight significantly at two, three, and four-months (+0.9 kg; +1.5 kg; +1.1 kg, p < 0.05). Female waist circumference (2.5 cm increase at three-months, p = 0.012), and body fat also increased (+0.9%, p = 0.026 at three-months). Intakes of sugar, saturated fat (both >10% of total energy), and sodium exceeded recommended levels (>2000 mg) at 12-months. Greater sedentary behaviours were observed amongst male students throughout the study (p <0.05). Conclusions: Female students are at risk of unfavourable changes in body composition during the first year of university, while males are at risk of increased sedentary behaviours. High intakes of saturated fat, sugars, and sodium warrant future interventions in such a vulnerable group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina A. Wilson
- Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Anthony Villani
- School of Health and Behavioural Sciences, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD 4556, Australia
| | - Sze-Yen Tan
- Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia
| | - Evangeline Mantzioris
- Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
- Alliance for Research in Nutrition, Exercise and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
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Du C, Adjepong M, Zan MCH, Cho MJ, Fenton JI, Hsiao PY, Keaver L, Lee H, Ludy MJ, Shen W, Swee WCS, Thrivikraman J, Amoah-Agyei F, de Kanter E, Wang W, Tucker RM. Gender Differences in the Relationships between Perceived Stress, Eating Behaviors, Sleep, Dietary Risk, and Body Mass Index. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14051045. [PMID: 35268020 PMCID: PMC8912409 DOI: 10.3390/nu14051045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Obesity is a growing epidemic among university students, and the high levels of stress reported by this population could contribute to this issue. Singular relationships between perceived stress; engagement in restrained, uncontrolled, and emotional eating; sleep; dietary risk; and body mass index (BMI) have been reported in the current body of literature; however, these constructs interact with each other, and the complex relationships among them are infrequently examined. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to explore the complex relationships between these constructs using mediation and moderation analyses stratified by gender. Methods: A cross-sectional study, enrolling university students from the United States (U.S.), the Netherlands, South Korea, Malaysia, Ireland, Ghana, and China, was conducted between October 2020 and January 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Perceived stress; maladaptive eating behaviors including restrained, uncontrolled, and emotional eating; sleep duration and quality; dietary risk; and BMI were assessed using validated questionnaires, which were distributed through an online platform. Results: A total of 1392 students completed the online survey (379 male, 973 female, and 40 who self-identified as “other”). Uncontrolled and emotional eating mediated the relationship between perceived stress and dietary risk for both males and females; higher sleep quality weakened this relationship among female students but not males. Emotional eating mediated the relationship between perceived stress and BMI for both males and females, but higher sleep quality weakened this relationship only among females. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that students in higher education are likely to benefit from interventions to reduce uncontrolled and emotional eating. Programs that improve sleep quality, especially during highly stressful periods, may be helpful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Du
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; (C.D.); (J.I.F.); (W.W.)
| | - Mary Adjepong
- Department of Biochemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi 00233, Ghana; (M.A.); (F.A.-A.)
| | - Megan Chong Hueh Zan
- Division of Nutrition and Dietetics, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia; (M.C.H.Z.); (W.C.S.S.)
| | - Min Jung Cho
- Global Public Health, Leiden University College, 2595 DG The Hague, The Netherlands; (M.J.C.); (J.T.); (E.d.K.)
| | - Jenifer I. Fenton
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; (C.D.); (J.I.F.); (W.W.)
| | - Pao Ying Hsiao
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA 15705, USA;
| | - Laura Keaver
- Department of Health and Nutritional Science, Institute of Technology Sligo, F91 YW50 Sligo, Ireland;
| | - Heesoon Lee
- Department of Human Services, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA;
| | - Mary-Jon Ludy
- Department of Public and Allied Health, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA; (M.-J.L.); (W.S.)
| | - Wan Shen
- Department of Public and Allied Health, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA; (M.-J.L.); (W.S.)
| | - Winnie Chee Siew Swee
- Division of Nutrition and Dietetics, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia; (M.C.H.Z.); (W.C.S.S.)
| | - Jyothi Thrivikraman
- Global Public Health, Leiden University College, 2595 DG The Hague, The Netherlands; (M.J.C.); (J.T.); (E.d.K.)
| | - Felicity Amoah-Agyei
- Department of Biochemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi 00233, Ghana; (M.A.); (F.A.-A.)
| | - Emilie de Kanter
- Global Public Health, Leiden University College, 2595 DG The Hague, The Netherlands; (M.J.C.); (J.T.); (E.d.K.)
| | - Wenyan Wang
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; (C.D.); (J.I.F.); (W.W.)
| | - Robin M. Tucker
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; (C.D.); (J.I.F.); (W.W.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-517-353-3408
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Yang CL, Tucker RM. Snacking behavior differs between evening and morning chronotype individuals but no differences are observed in overall energy intake, diet quality, or food cravings. Chronobiol Int 2021; 39:616-625. [PMID: 34930076 DOI: 10.1080/07420528.2021.2016795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
There is a growing body of literature that links chronotype to certain undesirable eating behaviors. However, the relationship between chronotype and dietary intake is poorly characterized among adults in the United States (U.S.). This cross-sectional study examined the associations among chronotype, snacking habits, dietary intake and quality, and food cravings. One-hundred adults living in the U.S. completed the study. Based on the Horne-Östberg Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire score, an individual was categorized as having either a morning (M)-type, intermediate (I)-type, or evening (E)-type chronotype. Snack intake was assessed using a previously published specialized food frequency questionnaire. Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake was assessed using the updated version of the Beverage Intake Questionnaire-15. Alcohol misuse was measured using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption. Diet quality was obtained using the Diet History Questionnaire III. The validated General Food Cravings Questionnaire-Trait measured participants' food cravings. E-type individuals reported consuming snacks more often over the course of a week than M-types (p = .002) but not I-types. In terms of timing of snacking, E-type individuals consumed more snacks after dinner than M-types (p < .001). E-type individuals consumed more energy-dense snacks (p = .005), especially candies (p = .005), than M-types. However, there were no significant differences in healthy snack frequency, diet quality, energy and macronutrient intake, SSB consumption, alcohol misuse, or food cravings among chronotypes (p > .05, for all). In conclusion, E-type individuals consumed snacks more frequently and later than M-types; however, chronotype was not associated with an individual's energy intake, diet quality, and food cravings, which suggests that chronotype is negligibly associated with weight gain-related behaviors in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Lun Yang
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Robin M Tucker
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
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