Depression, anxiety and change in eating habits during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazilian university students.

This cross-sectional study aims to evaluate the association between anxiety and depression with changes in the consumption of hyperpalatable foods and meal patterns in a sample of 771 Brazilian university students during the social isolation period in the COVID-19 pandemic. More than half of the sub...

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Main Authors: Marcus Verly-Miguel, Claudia de Souza Lopes, Jade Veloso Freitas, Magno Conceição Garcia, Marcio Candeias Marques, Vitor Barreto Paravidino, Rosely Sichieri
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0326856
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author Marcus Verly-Miguel
Claudia de Souza Lopes
Jade Veloso Freitas
Magno Conceição Garcia
Marcio Candeias Marques
Vitor Barreto Paravidino
Rosely Sichieri
author_facet Marcus Verly-Miguel
Claudia de Souza Lopes
Jade Veloso Freitas
Magno Conceição Garcia
Marcio Candeias Marques
Vitor Barreto Paravidino
Rosely Sichieri
author_sort Marcus Verly-Miguel
collection DOAJ
description This cross-sectional study aims to evaluate the association between anxiety and depression with changes in the consumption of hyperpalatable foods and meal patterns in a sample of 771 Brazilian university students during the social isolation period in the COVID-19 pandemic. More than half of the subjects self-reported clinically significant symptoms of anxiety (53.8%) and depression (62.5%), with 47.6% having both. Most individuals who showed increased consumption of hyperpalatable foods were also part of the group that reported clinically significant symptoms of anxiety or depression. Statistical analysis was performed using exploratory structural equations. The latent variable "symptoms of anxiety and depression" was created using the anxiety and depression scores. Symptoms of anxiety and depression had a positive correlation with the increased consumption of hyperpalatable foods and meal substitution (standardized coefficient = 0.212), after analysing their total direct and indirect effects. It was concluded that higher scores of anxiety and depression negatively affects the eating habits of university students.
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institution Kabale University
issn 1932-6203
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
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series PLoS ONE
spelling doaj-art-9535099a4ee24c23aa92cbff109e44b42025-08-20T03:50:26ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032025-01-01206e032685610.1371/journal.pone.0326856Depression, anxiety and change in eating habits during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazilian university students.Marcus Verly-MiguelClaudia de Souza LopesJade Veloso FreitasMagno Conceição GarciaMarcio Candeias MarquesVitor Barreto ParavidinoRosely SichieriThis cross-sectional study aims to evaluate the association between anxiety and depression with changes in the consumption of hyperpalatable foods and meal patterns in a sample of 771 Brazilian university students during the social isolation period in the COVID-19 pandemic. More than half of the subjects self-reported clinically significant symptoms of anxiety (53.8%) and depression (62.5%), with 47.6% having both. Most individuals who showed increased consumption of hyperpalatable foods were also part of the group that reported clinically significant symptoms of anxiety or depression. Statistical analysis was performed using exploratory structural equations. The latent variable "symptoms of anxiety and depression" was created using the anxiety and depression scores. Symptoms of anxiety and depression had a positive correlation with the increased consumption of hyperpalatable foods and meal substitution (standardized coefficient = 0.212), after analysing their total direct and indirect effects. It was concluded that higher scores of anxiety and depression negatively affects the eating habits of university students.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0326856
spellingShingle Marcus Verly-Miguel
Claudia de Souza Lopes
Jade Veloso Freitas
Magno Conceição Garcia
Marcio Candeias Marques
Vitor Barreto Paravidino
Rosely Sichieri
Depression, anxiety and change in eating habits during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazilian university students.
PLoS ONE
title Depression, anxiety and change in eating habits during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazilian university students.
title_full Depression, anxiety and change in eating habits during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazilian university students.
title_fullStr Depression, anxiety and change in eating habits during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazilian university students.
title_full_unstemmed Depression, anxiety and change in eating habits during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazilian university students.
title_short Depression, anxiety and change in eating habits during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazilian university students.
title_sort depression anxiety and change in eating habits during the covid 19 pandemic in brazilian university students
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0326856
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