Food consumption frequency and perceived stress and depressive symptoms among students in three European countries

TLDR

Certain foods may be consumed more frequently under stress or when depressive symptoms are high. The study examined whether poor nutritional habits are linked to stress and depressive symptoms and whether these relationships differ by country and gender among first‑year university students in Germany, Poland, and Bulgaria. Data were collected through self‑administered questionnaires measuring food frequency, perceived stress, and depression, and analyzed with linear regression to assess associations between food consumption and stress or depressive symptoms. Among female students, higher perceived stress was associated with more sweets/fast foods and fewer fruits/vegetables, while higher depressive symptoms were linked to fewer fruits/vegetables and meat; no such associations were observed in male students, suggesting that unhealthy eating is related to stress and depression only in females.

Abstract

Certain foods might be more frequently eaten under stress or when higher levels of depressive symptoms are experienced. We examined whether poor nutritional habits are associated with stress and depressive symptoms and whether the relationships differ by country and gender in a sample from three European countries collected as part of a Cross National Student Health Survey.A cross-sectional survey was conducted among first-year students in Germany (N = 696), Poland (N = 489) and Bulgaria (N = 654). Self-administered questionnaires included a 12-item food frequency questionnaire, Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale, and a modified Beck Depression Index. Linear regression analyses were conducted for two outcomes, perceived stress and depressive symptoms.Food consumption frequencies differed by country and gender, as did depressive symptoms and perceived stress. For male students, none of the food consumption groups were associated with perceived stress or depressive symptoms. In females, perceived stress was associated with more frequent consumption of sweets/fast foods and less frequent consumption of fruits/vegetables. Additionally, depressive symptoms were associated with less frequent consumption of fruits/vegetables and meat.Our data show consistent associations between unhealthy food consumption and depressive symptoms and perceived stress among female students from three European countries, but not among male students. This suggests that efforts to reduce depressive symptoms and stress among female students may also lead to the consumption of healthier foods and/or vice-versa.