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Financial and Other Life Stressors, Psychological Distress, and Food and Beverage Consumption among Students Attending a Large California State University during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Paulina Lin, Kathryn Hillstrom, Kimberly Gottesman, Yuane Jia, Tony Kuo and Brenda Robles (brenda.robles@udg.edu)
Additional contact information
Paulina Lin: Department of Epidemiology, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, P.O. Box 951722, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Kathryn Hillstrom: Department of Nutrition and Food Science, California State University, Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032, USA
Kimberly Gottesman: Department of Nutrition and Food Science, California State University, Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032, USA
Yuane Jia: School of Health Professions, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, 65 Bergen St., Newark, NJ 07101, USA
Tony Kuo: Department of Epidemiology, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, P.O. Box 951722, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Brenda Robles: Research Group on Statistics, Econometrics, and Health (GRECS), University of Girona, Carrer de la Universitat de Girona 10, Campus de Montilivi, 17003 Girona, Spain

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 4, 1-18

Abstract: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic abruptly disrupted the daily lives and health of college students across the United States. This study investigated several stressors (e.g., financial strain/uncertainty), psychological distress, and dietary behaviors among college students attending a large state university during the pandemic. A cross-sectional online survey was administered to students from the California State University, Los Angeles between April and May 2021 (final analytic sample n = 736). Differences in gender and race/ethnicity were examined using chi-square, t -test, and one-way ANOVA tests. Paired t-tests were performed to compare variables before and during the pandemic. Negative binomial regression models examined the associations between various stressors, psychological distress, and three key dietary outcomes. Descriptive results showed that the consumption of fruits and vegetables, fast food, and sugary beverages, along with psychological distress, all increased during the pandemic. Significant differences in fruit and vegetable and fast food consumption by gender and race/ethnicity were also observed. In the regression models, several stressors, including financial strain and psychological distress, were associated with unfavorable food and beverage consumption, thereby suggesting that college students may need more support in mitigating these stressors so they do not manifest as poor dietary behaviors. Poor diet quality is associated with poor physical health outcomes such as premature development of type 2 diabetes or hypertension.

Keywords: financial and other life stressors; mental health; psychological distress; dietary behaviors; college students; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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