Background: Since the COVID-19 pandemic has been affected our daily lives, the global population has been exposed to permanent concerns and thus might suffer from the psychological burden. It is well known that psychological burdens can affect dietary behavior. Aim: The impact of a psychological burden on people, and in particular on their dietary patterns was investigated in this nationawide cross-sectional study. Methods: 7525 participants responded to the questionnaire regarding the psychological burden concerning the COVID-19 pandemic and their current dietary structure with changes in the pattern and food amount (between November 2020 and March 2021). Results: A pandemic-related dysfunction of dietary behavior was found. Some participants reported restrictive (conscious) food intake and as well impulsive food intake, which can be described as dysfunctional eating behaviors. In particular, younger persons and individuals who claimed an increased psychological burden reported dysfunctional dietary behavior. Data clearly show that psychological burdens affect an individual's dietary behavior. Conclusion: Public health strategies have to be developed to support individuals at risk to improve coping strategies. The long-term aim should be avoiding the maintenance of dysfunctional dietary behavior.
AmmarABrachMTrabelsiK, et al. (2020) Consortium, OB of the E.-C. Effects of COVID-19 Home Confinement on Eating Behaviour and Physical Activity: Results of the ECLB-COVID19 International Online Survey. Nutrients.
2.
BäuerleAFrewerALRentropV, et al. (2022) Determinants of acceptance of weight management applications in overweight and obese individuals: Using an extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology model. Nutrients14(9): 1968.
3.
BäuerleAJahreLTeufelM, et al. (2021) Evaluation of the E-mental health mindfulness-based and skills-based “CoPE it” intervention to reduce psychological distress in times of COVID-19: Results of a bicentre longitudinal study. Frontiers in Psychiatry12: 768132.
4.
BäuerleATeufelMMuscheV, et al. (2020) Increased generalized anxiety, depression and distress during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study in Germany. J Public Health (Oxf)42(4): 672–678.
5.
CucinottaDVanelliM (2020) WHO declares COVID-19 a pandemic. Acta Bio-Medica: Atenei PARmensis91(1): 157–160.
6.
Di RenzoLGualtieriPCinelliG, et al. (2020) Psychological aspects and eating habits during COVID-19 home confinement: Results of EHLC-COVID-19 Italian online survey. Nutrients12(7): 2152.
7.
ElmaciogluFEmirogluEUlkerMT, et al. (2021) Evaluation of nutritional behavior related to COVID-19.
8.
GanleyRM (1989) Emotion and eating in obesity: A review of the literature. International Journal of Eating Disorders8(3): 343–361.
9.
GariepyGNitkaDSchmitzN (2010) The association between obesity and anxiety disorders in the population: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Obesity (Lond)34(3): 407–419.
10.
GielKESchurrMZipfelS, et al. (2021) Eating behaviour and symptom trajectories in patients with a history of binge eating disorder during COVID-19 pandemic. European Eating Disorders Review29(4): 657–662.
11.
GodartNTFlamentMFLecrubierY, et al. (2000) Anxiety disorders in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: Co-morbidity and chronology of appearance. European Psychiatry15(1): 38–45.
12.
HillDCMossRHSykes-MuskettB, et al. (2018) Stress and eating behaviors in children and adolescents: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Appetite123: 14–22.
13.
HoersterKDJakupcakMHansonR, et al. (2015) PTSD and depression symptoms are associated with binge eating among US Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Eating Behaviors17: 115–118.
14.
KoballAMMeersMRStorfer-IsserA, et al. (2012) Eating when bored: Revision of the emotional eating scale with a focus on boredom. Health Psychology31(4): 521–524.
15.
KohlerHBauerleASchwedaA, et al. (2021) Increased COVID-19-related fear and subjective risk perception regarding COVID-19 affects behavior in individuals with internal high-risk diseases. Journal of Primary Care & Community Health12: 215013272199689.
16.
LeungCMCHoMKBharwaniAA, et al. (2022) Mental disorders following COVID-19 and other epidemics: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Translational Psychiatry12(1): 05.
17.
LöweBDeckerOMüllerS, et al. (2008) Validation and standardization of the generalized anxiety disorder screener (GAD-7) in the general population. Medical Care46(3): 266–274.
18.
LöweBKroenkeKGräfeK (2005) Detecting and monitoring depression with a two-item questionnaire (PHQ-2). Journal of Psychosomatic Research58(2): 163–171.
19.
MachtMMuellerJ (2007) Immediate effects of chocolate on experimentally induced mood states. Appetite49(3): 667–674.
20.
MarsallMEngelmannGSkodaEM, et al. (2022) Validation of the English version of the general dietary behavior inventory (GDBI-E). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health19(5): 2883.
21.
MehnertAMuellerDLehmannC, et al. (2006) The German version of the NCCN distress thermometer: Validation of a screening instrument for assessment of psychosocial distress in cancer patients. Zeitschrift fur Psychiatrie Psychologie Und Psychotherapie54(3): 213–223.
22.
MeuleARichardASchnepperR, et al. (2019) Emotion regulation and emotional eating in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Eating Disorders29(2): 175–191.
23.
MoradianSBäuerleASchwedaA, et al. (2021) Differences and similarities between the impact of the first and the second COVID-19-lockdown on mental health and safety behaviour in Germany. J Public Health (Oxf)43(4): 710–713.
24.
MuscheVKohlerHBauerleA, et al. (2021) COVID-19-related fear, risk perception, and safety behavior in individuals with diabetes. Healthcare (Basel)9(4): 480.
25.
Organization WH (2021a) Obesity and overweight.
26.
Organization WH (2021b) WHO Coronavirus (COVID-19) Dashboard. Available at:https://covid19.who.int/(accessed 19 October 2022).
27.
OuwensMAvan StrienTvan LeeuweJF (2009) Possible pathways between depression, emotional and external eating. A structural equation model. Appetite53(2): 245–248.
28.
PaansNPGBotMBrouwerIA, et al. (2018) Contributions of depression and body mass index to body image. Journal of Psychiatric Research103: 18–25.
29.
PaulusMPSteinMB (2010) Interoception in anxiety and depression. Brain Structure and Function214(5-6): 451–463.
30.
PedrosaALBitencourtLFroesACF, et al. (2020) Emotional, behavioral, and psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Psychology11: 566212.
31.
PetzoldMBBendauAPlagJ, et al. (2020) Development of the COVID-19-anxiety questionnaire and first psychometric testing. BJPsych Open6(5): e91.
32.
PhillipouAMeyerDNeillE, et al. (2020) Eating and exercise behaviors in eating disorders and the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia: Initial results from the COLLATE project. International Journal of Eating Disorders53(7): 1158–1165.
33.
RodgersRFLombardoCCeroliniS, et al. (2020) The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on eating disorder risk and symptoms. International Journal of Eating Disorders53(7): 1166–1170.
34.
SchleglSMaierJMeuleA, et al. (2020a) Eating disorders in times of the COVID-19 pandemic—results from an online survey of patients with anorexia nervosa. International Journal of Eating Disorders53(11): 1791–1800.
35.
SchleglSMeuleAFavreauM, et al. (2020b) Bulimia nervosa in times of the COVID-19 pandemic-results from an online survey of former inpatients. European Eating Disorders Review28(6): 847–854.
36.
SchmidtAFFinanC (2018) Linear regression and the normality assumption. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology98: 146–151.
37.
SethAKFristonKJ (2016) Active interoceptive inference and the emotional brain. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B Biological Sciences371: 1708.
38.
SwinbourneJMTouyzSW (2007) The co-morbidity of eating disorders and anxiety disorders: A review. European Eating Disorders Review15(4): 253–274.
39.
TorresSJNowsonCA (2007) Relationship between stress, eating behavior, and obesity. Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.)23(11-12): 887–894.
40.
WaltersEENealeMCEavesLJ, et al. (1992) Bulimia nervosa and major depression: A study of common genetic and environmental factors. Psychological Medicine22(3): 617–622.
41.
WassersteinRLSchirmALLazarNA (2019) Moving to a world beyond “p < 0.05”. The American Statistician73(sup1): 1–19.
42.
YoungHAWilliamsCPinkAE, et al. (2017) Getting to the heart of the matter: Does aberrant interoceptive processing contribute towards emotional eating?PLoS One12(10): e0186312.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
