Highlights:
Transitioning to a new environment, as many college freshmen do, can heighten feelings of loneliness, and according to the National College Health Assessment, sentiments of loneliness in college students have drastically grown in the previous decade. Furthermore, according to a 2021 poll, 44% of U.S. college students described their weight as higher than usual, i.e. either overweight or obese. Even though loneliness has been connected to unhealthy weight and physical inactivity, there is a dearth of studies on eating behaviors in college students and the impact they can play on obesity. - Loneliness among college students has risen considerably in the recent decade
- It is linked to unhealthy diets and physical inactivity
- Interventions to alleviate loneliness may benefit health promotion in this group
Link Between Loneliness and Poor Nutrition Quality and Physical Inactivity
Li Jiang, a Master of Nutrition alumini, discovered that loneliness was associated with reduced nutrition quality and physical inactivity using data from the Mason: Health Starts Here cohort research. Jiang's master's thesis research was supported by Mason Nutrition and Food Studies Department Chair Lawrence J. Cheskin, Associate Professor Lilian de Jonge, former faculty member Cara Frankenfeld, and former postdoctoral scholar Ziaul H. Rana. “Our study supports a potential need for further research in understanding unhealthful dietary behavior and physical activity which may be related to loneliness, an emotion that impacts many college students,” says Jiang.Lonely Student Consume More Fat-Rich Food
Students expressing high loneliness (scoring ranges of 4-6 and 7-9) exhibited more sedentary (19.2%) and low active (53.8%) habits than those reporting low loneliness (score of 10-12). Pupils who reported more loneliness ate more fat than students who reported less loneliness.
Ways to Deal with Loneliness
All of us feel lonely at some point in our lives. It is important to know how to deal with loneliness, rise above it and beat depression.
All of us feel lonely at some point in our lives. It is important to know how to deal with loneliness, rise above it and beat depression.
‘College students expressing high loneliness were more likely to engage in sedentary (19.2%) and low active (53.8%) behaviors than those reporting low loneliness (13.8%, 36.7%, respectively).’
“Interventions to reduce loneliness may have a positive effect on health promotion in this population. This data goes along with other initial findings from the Health Starts Here study that college students are not meeting healthy dietary guidelines or getting enough physical activity,” said Cheskin, who has an M.D.
Source-Medindia
COVID-19 Linked to Poor Mental Health and Loneliness
Individuals infected during the first wave of COVID-19 suffer from mental health issues more long term than what was previously thought.
Individuals infected during the first wave of COVID-19 suffer from mental health issues more long term than what was previously thought.
COVID-19 Pandemic: Simple 5 Ways to Fight Loneliness and Boredom during Social Isolation
COVID-19 Pandemic: Although social isolation is the right response to tackle coronavirus pandemic, people need to find some alternative ways to get rid of loneliness and boredom while social distancing.
COVID-19 Pandemic: Although social isolation is the right response to tackle coronavirus pandemic, people need to find some alternative ways to get rid of loneliness and boredom while social distancing.
How Does Alcohol Usage Correlate With Childhood Loneliness?
Greater levels of childhood loneliness were followed by greater stress in early adulthood, and that has been associated with alcohol usage.
Greater levels of childhood loneliness were followed by greater stress in early adulthood, and that has been associated with alcohol usage.
