The Relationship between Food and Mood: A Look into Nutritional Access, Nutritional Intake, Demographics and Depression
Abstract
This study was based on factors found in the environment, such as nutritional access, nutritional intake, and demographics that predict depression in college students who identify as African American. One hundred and thirty-eight college students from a Historically Black College and University in the Southeastern United States completed this study. The researcher predicted that there is a negative relationship between nutritional access and depression. It was hypothesized that there is a negative relationship between nutritional intake and depression. It was also hypothesized that there is a relationship between demographic factors and depression. The hypotheses were not supported. The researcher did find significant relationships, between restaurant proximity and depression, and between unhealthy food and depression. However, there was a positive significant relationship between fast food restaurant proximity and depression. Also, there was a positive significant relationship between unhealthy food consumption and depression. The limitations of the study include the reporting methods for nutritional access, nutritional intake, demographic factors, and depression. The results and findings of this study include important implications for clinicians to learn preventive information related to health-related issues among African Americans who receive clinical and counseling services for depression.
Subject Area
Psychology|Clinical psychology|Nutrition|African American Studies|Mental health
Recommended Citation
Margaret M White,
"The Relationship between Food and Mood: A Look into Nutritional Access, Nutritional Intake, Demographics and Depression"
(2020).
ETD Collection for Tennessee State University.
Paper AAI27955047.
https://digitalscholarship.tnstate.edu/dissertations/AAI27955047