The relationship between nutrition and mental well-being : a quantitative study amongst university students

Abstract

Diet has been shown to have an effect on mood, cognition and behaviour. The general population however, tends to be more conscious of the effects that nutrition has on our physiology, than its effects on our psychology. The aim of the current study was to explore the relationship between the intake of certain foods and levels of mental well-being, amongst students at the University of Malta. Adopting a quantitative methodology, a 37-item survey asked participants about their perceived states of mental well-being using the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale, and their food intake patterns using the Short Form Dietary Questionnaire. The questionnaire was disseminated by email via the University registrar and completed by a total of 165 students, 82% females and 18% males. A Pearson correlation coefficient analysis revealed a significant positive relationship between high levels of mental well-being and an optimum diet, defined as one that is high in fruits, vegetables, oily fish, and low in sugar and processed fatty foods. One-way ANOVA tests indicated that females had a significantly higher intake of vegetables than males, however they experienced lower levels of mental well-being than their male counterparts, while the participant groups who exercised more frequently, were also likelier to consume a better quality diet and experience higher levels of mental well-being, than the groups who exercised less. The obtained results shed light on the importance of adequate nutrition for mental health. Further research in the area is recommended in order to better comprehend and consequently promote the applications of an adequate diet in the prevention and treatment of mental health disorders and also the maintenance of mental well being.