“Maybe it’s Not Just the Food?” A Food and Mood Focus Group Study

Megan F. Lee (), Douglas Angus, Hayley Walsh and Sally Sargeant
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Megan F. Lee: Faculty of Society and Design, Bond University, Gold Coast 4226, Australia
Douglas Angus: Faculty of Society and Design, Bond University, Gold Coast 4226, Australia
Hayley Walsh: Faculty of Society and Design, Bond University, Gold Coast 4226, Australia
Sally Sargeant: Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University, Gold Coast 4225, Australia

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 3, 1-12

Abstract: Epidemiological and intervention studies in nutritional psychiatry suggest that the risk of mood disorders is associated with what we eat. However, few studies use a person-centred approach to explore the food and mood relationship. In this qualitative study of 50 Australian participants, we explored individuals’ experiences with food and mood as revealed during focus group discussions. Using a thematic template analysis, we identified three themes in the food and mood relationship: (i) social context: familial and cultural influences of food and mood , (ii) social economics: time, finance, and food security , and (iii) food nostalgia: unlocking memories that impact mood . Participants suggested that nutrients, food components or food patterns may not be the only way that food impacts mood. Rather, they described the social context of who, with, and where food is eaten, and that time, finances, and access to healthy fresh foods and bittersweet memories of foods shared with loved ones all impacted their mood. Findings suggest that quantitative studies examining the links between diet and mood should look beyond nutritional factors and give increased attention to the cultural, social, economic, and identity aspects of diet.

Keywords: food; mood; depression; mental health; psychological wellbeing; qualitative research; focus group; thematic template analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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