The interaction effect of anxiety and mood on energy intake and blood pressure in healthy women university students

Abstract

PurposeIn spite of the importance of food intake in weight management and preventing chronic diseases, it remains difficult to predict how anxious people change their eating behaviour in exposure to bad or good moods. The purpose of the study was to investigate the interaction effect of anxiety and different moods on food intake and blood pressure in healthy women students.Design/methodology/approachA total of 82 women university students (18-30 years) participated in the study. Subjects completed a valid anxiety questionnaire at baseline to measure trait and state anxiety scores, then they were randomly divided into two groups to watch comedy and drama movies for mood induction. After watching, some snacks were presented, and then energy intake and blood pressure were measured.FindingsStudents who suffered from severe state anxiety, consumed more energy from food when they watched a dramatic movie (p= 0.014). Subjects who suffered from moderate level of state anxiety and watched a dramatic movie experienced more systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared with subjects who suffered from moderate state anxiety but watched the comedy (p= 0.043 andp= 0.041, for systolic and diastolic blood pressure respectively). More diastolic blood pressure was shown among students who watched the drama movie and suffered from a severe level of trait anxiety (p = 0.049).Research limitations/implicationsElectrocardiography and stroke volume measurement were not used.Originality/valueOur findings showed blood pressure elevation in anxious people when they experienced bad feeling such as sadness, and they also consumed more energy from food. Both of these factors are related to the occurrence of chronic disorders such as cardiovascular diseases.