Is Childhood Diet Important to Mental Health Later in Life?
Mental health awareness has been increasing in recent years—there is an increased emphasis on taking care of one’s mental well-being, and many youth are advocating for mental health education. Scientists are researching mental health by studying the effect of childhood diet on mental health. In particular, researchers suspect nutrition may play a special role in good mental health later on in life as children are constantly developing and require proper nutrients to support this growth. It is already known that nutrition is critical to childhood growth and development, but the specific relationship between childhood diet and mental health is insufficiently researched.
Researchers in the United Kingdom (UK) from the University of East Anglia and the Norfolk County Council designed a study that surveyed children about their current diet and emotional well-being. The survey asked primary and secondary school children in Norfolk for information on their daily fruit and vegetable intake, breakfasts, and lunches. Questions about the children’s home life and other variables that could influence mental health, such as sexuality and experiences with bullying, were also included. In total, 10,853 students took the survey online in a classroom setting over a four-week period. The mental health of primary school children was measured using the Stirling Children’s Well-being Scale, while the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale was used for secondary school children. Each scale asked different types of questions regarding mental health in order to accommodate the different age ranges.
Researchers in the United Kingdom (UK) from the University of East Anglia and the Norfolk County Council designed a study that surveyed children about their current diet and emotional well-being. The survey asked primary and secondary school children in Norfolk for information on their daily fruit and vegetable intake, breakfasts, and lunches. Questions about the children’s home life and other variables that could influence mental health, such as sexuality and experiences with bullying, were also included. In total, 10,853 students took the survey online in a classroom setting over a four-week period. The mental health of primary school children was measured using the Stirling Children’s Well-being Scale, while the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale was used for secondary school children. Each scale asked different types of questions regarding mental health in order to accommodate the different age ranges.
A new study has suggested that consistent intake of fruits and vegetables may be beneficial to a child’s mental health.
Image Source: KathrinPie
Upon analyzing the data collected, researchers observed a linear trend between fruit and vegetable consumption and mental well-being in secondary school students. The more fruits a student ate in a day, the higher their mental well-being generally was. Additionally, they found that students who had only an energy drink for breakfast generally had worse mental health than students who ate nothing for breakfast. Therefore, consuming unhealthy drinks and foods could cause more harm than eating nothing. Finally, researchers concluded that the association between young children’s diet and their mental health was “a concern”. As such, there should be an increased effort to introduce fruits and vegetables into their diet as soon as possible.
Although the study found links between adolescent diet and mental well-being, it had multiple limitations. First, the study was cross-sectional, meaning the outcome (mental health) and variable (diet) were measured at the same time, weakening the link between the two. Additionally, the data was self-reported, enabling some human error and therefore inaccurate or dishonest results. The students may have had different levels of nutrition or mental well-being, resulting in varied responses rather than standardized ones. The study also only observed a relatively small sample from only the UK rather than a global, diverse sample, which prevents the results from being widely applicable. Finally, it is important to remember that correlation is not necessarily causation—not enough research has been done to determine if diet controls mental health. It is still possible that there is a different variable that affects mental health that is conveniently aligned with childhood diet.
Although there are multiple limitations to the study, the tentative link between diet and mental health suggests that it is critical for schools and parents to provide a nutritious diet. Parents should make an effort to incorporate a variety of fruits and vegetables into their child’s daily diet, and schools should have an increased emphasis on providing healthier foods for students. Based on this research study, doing so may help children to have good mental health, which will help support and protect their happiness later in life.
Although the study found links between adolescent diet and mental well-being, it had multiple limitations. First, the study was cross-sectional, meaning the outcome (mental health) and variable (diet) were measured at the same time, weakening the link between the two. Additionally, the data was self-reported, enabling some human error and therefore inaccurate or dishonest results. The students may have had different levels of nutrition or mental well-being, resulting in varied responses rather than standardized ones. The study also only observed a relatively small sample from only the UK rather than a global, diverse sample, which prevents the results from being widely applicable. Finally, it is important to remember that correlation is not necessarily causation—not enough research has been done to determine if diet controls mental health. It is still possible that there is a different variable that affects mental health that is conveniently aligned with childhood diet.
Although there are multiple limitations to the study, the tentative link between diet and mental health suggests that it is critical for schools and parents to provide a nutritious diet. Parents should make an effort to incorporate a variety of fruits and vegetables into their child’s daily diet, and schools should have an increased emphasis on providing healthier foods for students. Based on this research study, doing so may help children to have good mental health, which will help support and protect their happiness later in life.
Featured Image Source: Greta Hoffman
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