International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

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Dr. Yoo Kyoung Park

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Department of Medical Nutrition, Kyung Hee University, 449-701 Seoul, South Korea
Interests: prevention and nutritional therapy of dementia; obese; geriatric nutrition; clinical nutrition

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Various emotions negatively or positively affect the amount or characteristics of food consumption. Vice versa, nutrients affect brain chemistry, impacting mood, memory, and cognitive function. Studies have described negative emotions leading women to consume more foods, especially high-energy-density foods rich in sugar and/or fat; however, some do not agree. The inconsistency in the literature may be associated with methodological considerations, such as the use of different study designs, questionnaires, or experimental methods. In this Special Issue we seek submissions that are related to 1) emotions and/or cognitive function affecting food intake, 2) brain chemistry or brain function affecting food intake, 3) nutrients or foods that are associated with emotions, 4) sex differences in emotion and food intake, etc. Special interest will be given to submissions that include novel findings and/or expand our conventional ideas regarding emotional health and food intake.

Dr. Yoo Kyoung Park
Guest Editor

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Keywords

emotional states
food consumption
brain chemistry
food selection
sex difference

Published Papers (1 paper)

Research

14 pages, 1395 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Diet Quality and Mental Health Status among Division 1 Female Collegiate Athletes during the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Natalie Christensen, Irene van Woerden, Nicki L. Aubuchon-Endsley, Pamela Fleckenstein, Janette Olsen and Cynthia Blanton

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(24), 13377; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182413377 - 19 Dec 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3906

Abstract

The International Olympic Committee has identified mental health as a priority that significantly affects the physical health and safety of collegiate athletes. Interventions that improve diet quality have been shown to improve mental health in several populations. However, studies are needed to examine this relationship in female collegiate athletes, who have elevated risk of experiencing anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as dietary insufficiencies. In a quantitative, cross-sectional study, female student athletes at a U.S. university completed three mental health questionnaires: Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), Athlete Psychological Strain Questionnaire (APSQ), and COVID Stress Scales (CSS). Each female athlete also completed a validated, web-based Diet History Questionnaire (DHQ-III) resulting in a Healthy Eating Index (HEI). Seventy-seven participants completed all survey information. HEI scores were consistently higher for athletes with poorer mental health. HEI scores were significantly positively associated with stress (p = 0.015), performance concerns (p = 0.048), CSS components of danger (p = 0.007), contamination (p = 0.006), and traumatic stress (p = 0.003). Although findings support statistically significant associations among dietary quality and mental health indicators, including broad symptom severity or stressors specific to athletics or COVID-19, these associations were in the opposite direction hypothesized. Possible reasons for results and suggestions for future research are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Relationship between Food Intake and Emotional Health)

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