Sense of coherence and nutritional maturity versus the feeling of stress among young adults
Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study was to establish the interdependencies between the sense of coherence, nutritional maturity and the sense of stress in a group of young adults, considering their diet. Ultimately, research efforts were aimed at testing the predictive power of the study variables against the feeling of stress.
Method: The study was conducted in a group of 100 people in the 20–33 age range that were following either a vegetarian and meat diet. The Antonovsky’s Sense of Coherence Questionnaire, the Nutritional Maturity Questionnaire (Potocka & Najder, 2016) and the Sense of Stress Questionnaire (Plopa & Makarowski, 2010) were applied.
Results: The results indicate a significantly lower intensity of emotional tension, intrapsychic, external and general stress, as well as significantly higher indicators of the sense of coherence and nutritional maturity in the group of vegetarians. Moreover, nutritional maturity was found to be negatively correlated to the sense of stress, while the sense of coherence was noted to be positively correlated to the nutritional maturity. In the end, it was demonstrated that the sense of coherence played an important role in predicting stress as experienced by young adults.
Conclusion: The research provided important knowledge on the relationship between attitudes towards nutrition and experiencing stress in a group of young adults.
Keywords:
sense of coherence, sense of stress, nutritional maturity, young adultsReferences
Antonovsky, A. (1996). The salutogenic model as a theory to guide health promotion. Health Promotion International, (11)1, 11–18. https://doi.org/10.1093/HEAPRO/11.1.11
Crossref
Google Scholar
Avraham, Y., Berry, E. M., Donskoy, M., Ahmad, W. A., Vorobiev, L., Albeck, A., & Mankuta, D. (2019). Beta-carotene as a novel therapy for the treatment of Autistic like behavior in animal models of Autism. Behavioural Brain Research, 364, 469–479. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2017.09.041
Crossref
Google Scholar
Barr, S. I., & Chapman, G. E. (2002). Perceptions and practices of self-defined current vegetarian, former vegetarian, and nonvegetarian women. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 102(3), 354–360. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0002-8223(02)90083-0
Crossref
Google Scholar
Bedyńska, S., & Książek, M. (2012). Statystyczny drogowskaz: praktyczny przewodnik wykorzystania modeli regresji oraz równań strukturalnych [Statistical guide: A practical guide to using regression models and structural equations]. Wydawnictwo Akademickie Sedno. Google Scholar
Bruch, H. (1973). Eating disorders. Obesity, anorexia nervosa, and the Person Within. Basic Books. Google Scholar
Brzeziński, J. (2001). Metodologia badań psychologicznych [Methodology of psychological research]. PWN. Google Scholar
Bubko, I., Gruber, B. M., & Anuszewska, E. L. (2015). The role of thiamine in neurodegenerative diseases. Postępy Higieny i Medycyny Doświadczalnej [Advances in Hygiene and Experimental Medicine], 69, 1096–1106. https://doi.org/10.5604/01.3001.0009.6579 Google Scholar
Field, A. (2009). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (3rd ed.). Sage Publications Ltd. Google Scholar
Fox, N., & Ward, K. (2008). Health, Ethics and Environment: A Qualitative Study of Vegetarian Motivations. Appetite, 50(2–3), 422–429. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2007.09.007
Crossref
Google Scholar
Horiguchi, M., Tanaka, G., Ogasawara, H., & Maruyama, R. (2014). Validation and Gender-Based Comparison of the Eating Behavior Scale for Japanese Young Adults. Psychology, 5(19), 2173–2179. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/psych.2014.519219
Crossref
Google Scholar
Key, T. J., Davey, G. K., & Appleby, P. N. (1999). Health benefits of a vegetarian diet Proceedings of Nutrition Society, 58(2), 271–275. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0029665199000373
Crossref
Google Scholar
Koniarek, J., Dudek, B., & Makowska, Z. (1993). Adaptacja Kwestionariusza orientacji życiowej A. Antonovsky’ego [Adaptation of The Sense Coherence Questionnaire (SOC) of A. Antonovsky]. Przegląd Psychologiczny [The Review of Psychology], 36(4), 98–120. Google Scholar
Lindmark, U., Stegmayr, B., Nilsson, B., Lindahl, B., & Johansson, I. (2005). Food selection associated with sense of coherence in adults. Nutrition Journal, 4(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-4-9
Crossref
Google Scholar
Macht, M. (2008). How emotions affect eating: a five-way model. Appetite, 50(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2007.07.002
Crossref
Google Scholar
Müssig, M., Pfeiler, T., & Egloff, B. (2022). Why They Eat What They Eat: Comparing 18 Eating Motives Among Omnivores and Veg*ns. Frontiers in Nutrition, 9, Article 780614. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.780614
Crossref
Google Scholar
Olson, C. R., & Mello, C. V. (2012). Vitamin A and Brain Function. In V. Preedy (Ed.), Food and nutritional components in focus (Food and Nutritional Components in Focus 1) (pp. 516–531). Royal Society of Chemistry.
Crossref
Google Scholar
Packard, C. J., Cavanagh, J., McLean, J. S., McConnachie, A., Messow, C. M., Batty, G. D., & Millar, K. (2012). Interaction of personality traits with social deprivation in determining mental wellbeing and health behaviours. Journal of Public Health, 34(4), 615–624. https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fds030
Crossref
Google Scholar
Pasikowski, T. (2001). Kwestionariusz Poczucia Koherencji dla Dorosłych (SOC-29) [The Life Orientation Questionnaire for Adults ‒ SOC-29]. In H. Sęk & T. Pasikowski (Eds.), Zdrowie – stres – zasoby. O znaczeniu poczucia koherencji dla zdrowia [Health – stress – resources. On the importance of a sense of coherence for health] (pp. 71–86). Wydawnictwo Fundacji Humaniora. Google Scholar
Pilska M., & Jeżewska-Zychowicz, M. (2008). Psychologia żywienia. Wybrane zagadnienia [Nutrition psychology. Selected issues]. Wydawnictwo Szkoły Głównej Gospodarstwa Wiejskiego. Google Scholar
Plopa, M., & Makarowski, R. (2010). Kwestionariusz poczucia stresu: podręcznik. [The Sense of Stress Questionnaire: The Manual]. Wydawnictwo Vizja Press &IT. Google Scholar
Potocka, A., & Mościcka, A. (2011). Stres oraz sposoby radzenia sobie z nim a nawyki żywieniowe wśród osób pracujących [Stress and ways of coping with it and eating habits among working people]. Medycyna Pracy [Occupational Medicine], 62(4), 377–388. Google Scholar
Potocka, A., & Najder, A. (2016). Development and validation of the Eating Maturity Questionnaire: Preliminary Findings. Journal of Health Psychology, 21, 2294‒2305. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105315576346
Crossref
Google Scholar
Pyrzyńska, E. (2013). Dieta wegetariańska w świetle zasad prawidłowego odżywiania ‒ postawy i zachowania wegetarian w Polsce [A vegetarian diet in the light of the principles of proper nutrition ‒ attitudes and behaviors of vegetarians in Poland]. Zeszyty Naukowe Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego w Krakowie [Argumenta Oeconomica Cracoviensia], 906, 27–36. Google Scholar
Salehi, G., Diaz, E., & Redondo, R. (2023). Forty-five years of research on vegetarianism and veganism: a systematic and comprehensive literature review of quantitative studies. Heliyon, 9(6), Article e16091. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16091
Crossref
Google Scholar
Silva, J. R., Capurro, G., Saumann, M. P., & Slachevsky, A. (2013). Problematic eating behaviors and nutritional status in 7 to 12 year-old Chilean children. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 13, 32‒39. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1697-2600(13)70005-X
Crossref
Google Scholar
Stenhammar, C., Olsson, G. M., Bahmanyar, S., Hulting, A. L., Wettergren, B., Edlund, B., & Montgomery, S. M. (2010). Family stress and BMI in young children. Acta Pediatrica, 99(8), 1205‒1212. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1651-2227.2010.01776.x
Crossref
Google Scholar
Story, M., Neumark-Sztainer, D., & French, S. (2002). Individual and environmental influences on adolescent eating behaviors. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 102, 40‒51. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0002-8223(02)90421-9
Crossref
Google Scholar
Swan, E. C. (2016). Understanding healthful eating from a salutogenic perspective [Doctoral dissertation]. Wageningen University. Google Scholar
Szeto, Y. T., Kwok, T., & Benzie F. F. (2004). Effects of a long-term vegetarian diet on biomarkers of antioxidant status and cardiovascular disease risk. Nutrition, 20(10), 863‒866. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2004.06.006
Crossref
Google Scholar
Torres, S. J., & Nowson, C. A. (2007). Relationship between stress, eating behavior, and obesity. Nutrition, 23(11‒12), 887‒894. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2007.08.008
Crossref
Google Scholar
Walsh, J. J., Wilding, J. M., & Eysenck, M. W. (1994). Stress responsivity: The role of individual differences. Personality and Individual Differences, 16(3), 385‒394. https://doi.org/10.1016/0191-8869(94)90064-7
Crossref
Google Scholar
Wing, R. R., Blair, E. H., Epstein, L. H., & McDermott, M. D. (1990). Psychological stress and glucose metabolism in obese and normal-weight subjects: A possible mechanism for differences in stress-induced eating. Health Psychology, 9(6), 693‒700. https://doi.org/10.1037//0278-6133.9.6.693
Crossref
Google Scholar
Woźniak, M. (2021). Dojrzałość żywieniowa i poczucie koherencji a poczucie stresu wśród młodych dorosłych [Nutritional maturity and sense of coherence versus the feeling of stress among young adults] [Unpublished MA dissertation]. University of Gdańsk. Google Scholar
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.