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Prevalence of anhedonia, anxiety, and their impact on food consumption among postgraduate Qassim University students
Anhedonia, a common symptom in mental health disorders like depression, refers to the inability to experience pleasure or joy. Anxiety is marked by tension, anxious thoughts, and physical symptoms. Diet is known to influence mental health, with eating enjoyable meals suggested as a way to alleviate negative feelings such as anxiety. The purpose of this study by Alrehaili et al. (2024) was to investigate the connection between postgraduate students’ eating patterns and symptoms of anxiety and prevalence of anhedonia. In a cross-sectional study, 393 postgraduate students participated by completing the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale for Anhedonia, and the Food Consumption Questionnaire, while also reporting their body weight. The prevalence of anhedonia was 28%, with 15.7% reporting moderate anxiety and 10.9% severe anxiety. The study found that consumption of sugary foods, fast food, and fried foods was positively correlated with both anxiety and anhedonia, while fruits and vegetables were negatively associated with these symptoms. There was no significant relationship between the number of meals per day and anhedonia, but a statistical significance was found between the total GAD-7 score and the number of meals consumed daily. The study suggests that eating habits, particularly the consumption of sugary, fast, and fried foods, are linked to an increase in anxiety and anhedonia. Future research should focus on understanding the impact of a healthy diet in managing and reducing symptoms of anxiety and anhedonia, particularly in high-stress environments like postgraduate education. Raising awareness of anhedonia as a symptom of depression and promoting strategies to manage anxiety may support better mental health outcomes in students. [NPID: Diet, food intake, dietary intake, nutrition, anhedonia, anxiety, health]
Year: 2024
