Self-Reported Dietary Habits and Intensity of Negative Emotions: From a Population of Moroccan University Students.

Said Ihbour^1§*, Asma Arfaoui^2§, Hammou Anarghou¹, Kaltoum Boutahar¹ and Samira Boulbaroud²

¹Faculty of Science and Techniques, Biological Engineering Laboratory. Sultan Moulay Slimane University Beni Mellal City, Morocco.

²Laboratory of "Biotechnolog and Sustainable Development of Natural Resources" Polydisciplinary Faculty. Sultan Moulay Slimane University. Beni Mellal City, Morocco.

Corresponding Author E-mail: saidjamawi@gmail.com

Emotional disorders are an ever-increasing problem in our society, accounting for a significant portion of the global burden of disease. A healthy and balanced diet is now one of the promising avenues for the prevention and care of psychiatric disorders. The principal objective of this cross-sectional study was to analyze the relationship between eating habits, frequency of consumption of certain foods, and mental well-being in a sample of students. A food frequency questionnaire was developed to describe participants' eating habits. The DAS21 self-questionnaire was used to assess the intensity of negative emotions associated with depression, anxiety, and stress. The age of the participants, who numbered 620, varied from 18 to 25 years (mean age: 22.32 years). The consumption of the different foods studied was varied, with a low consumption of fruits and vegetables. The prevalence of emotional disorders was high among the students. Skipping breakfast had a negative impact on mental well-being. High frequency of consumption of apples, seafood, kiwi, dried fruits, sardines, olive oil, green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, carrots and apricots was beneficial to the mental health of students. This suggests that healthy eating behaviours based on a balanced diet may be an interesting avenue for preventing and treating psychopathological disorders.

Anxiety; Depression; Eating habits; Food; Stress

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