Abstract
The ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war negatively affects the mental health and well-being of civilian. We hypothesize eating behavior (i.e., irregular meals, abuse of salt and sweet foods, and alcohol) is associated with deterioration of psycho-emotional well-being (i.e., depression, burnout and loneliness) of Ukrainian students. The survey cohort consisted of 1,341 students, 65% female, from five universities. Results show: 36.4% do not have a regular pattern of food intake; 30.6% report increased salty food consumption; 46.6% eat more sweets; 30.3% have weight gain; and 22.5% weight loss over the past year. One-way ANOVA, t-test, and chi-square test show that irregular eating behavior, as well as increased intake of salty and sweet foods, are associated with affective behavior disorder (e.g., excessive on-line gaming), depression and suicide ideation. Mental health and psycho-emotional well-being, such as burnout, loneliness, and life satisfaction, are factors associated with alcohol consumption and binge drinking. Chi-square test shows an association between weight change and increased intake of salty and/or sweet foods. One-way ANOVA shows that weight change (regardless of direction) is associated with gaming disorder, depression, burnout, and life satisfaction. Regression analysis shows that changes in eating behavior, including alcohol consumption during the war, are predictors of student mental health and psycho-emotional well-being deterioration The study to be presented provides information about university student eating behavior and mental health, during disaster conditions that have implications for prevention and intervention purposes in Ukraine and elsewhere.
Presenters
Alexander ReznikSenior Research Associate, Regional Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research (RADAR) Center, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, HaDarom, Israel
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
Health Promotion and Education
KEYWORDS
Eating behavior, Mental health, Disaster, Ukrainian university students
