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Junk food consumption and psychological distress in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Existing evidence suggests that junk foods, characterized by high-calorie and low-nutrient content, have adverse effects on the mental and metabolic health of children. Malmir et al. (2023) looked at the connection between children’s and teenagers’ junk food intake and psychological discomfort in their study by performing a meta-analysis. A systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, and SCOPUS databases up to 2022 was conducted to identify relevant observational studies examining the association between junk food consumption and psychological distress in young populations. Subgroup meta-analyses were performed based on categories of junk foods (such as sweet drinks, sweet snacks, and other snacks). The systematic review included data from 17 articles examining junk food consumption concerning depression, stress, anxiety, sleep dissatisfaction, and happiness among children and adolescents. According to the random-effects model, compared to the lowest category of junk food consumption, consuming junk food increased the odds of depression by 62%, stress by 34%, anxiety by 24%, sleep dissatisfaction by 17%, and decreased happiness by 17%. Subgroup analyses indicated significant associations between different types of junk foods and psychological distress. This meta-analysis demonstrates that consumption of junk foods is associated with higher odds of experiencing psychological distress among children and adolescents. These findings underscore the importance of reducing junk food intake in this vulnerable population. [NPID: Snacks, anxiety, depression, happiness, junk foods, psychological distress, sleep dissatisfaction, stress]
Year: 2023
