Dataset Information

Bidirectional relationship of stress and affect with physical activity and healthy eating.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Physical activity and healthy eating seem to be protective against experiencing stress and negative affect as well as increase positive affect. At the same time, previous studies showed that people reduce salutogenic behaviours such as physical activity and healthy eating in the face of stress and negative affect while increasing such behaviours in the context of positive affect. Due to daily fluctuations of these behaviours, the present study examined these relationships in daily life using ecological momentary assessment (EMA).

Design and methods

Fifty-one university students responded to six daily prompts during 7 days via smartphone-based EMA. Items examined stress, emotional experience, physical activity duration, and healthy eating.

Results

Higher stress and negative affect, as well as lower positive affect, were related to a reduction in subsequent physical activity. Higher physical activity levels, in turn, were associated with less subsequent stress and negative affect, as well as more positive affect. No such effects for stress and affect on healthy eating or vice versa were found.

Conclusions

Engaging in physical activity is related to better mood and less stress/negative affect over the next several hours in daily life. Prevention efforts therefore may benefit by focusing on promoting physical activity, particularly when stress/negative affect is high to 'break the cycle' of inactivity, stress, and negative affect. Potential effects of healthy eating might be more subtle and characterized by interindividual differences or state effects. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Physical activity can reduce stress as well as negative emotions and can enhance positive emotions. People tend to eat less healthy food during stressful times, and healthy eating can increase general health. Physical activity and healthy eating have been mostly assessed separately and through retrospective methods. What does this study add? This is an EMA study investigating bidirectional effects of stress, emotions, and salutogenic behaviour. After physical activity, people felt less stressed/negative and more positive; feeling better and less stressed resulted in more physical activity. Healthy eating was not associated with stress or emotion level and vice versa.

SUBMITTER: Schultchen D

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6767465 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Bidirectional relationship of stress and affect with physical activity and healthy eating.

Schultchen Dana D Reichenberger Julia J Mittl Theresa T Weh Tabea R M TRM Smyth Joshua M JM Blechert Jens J Pollatos Olga O

British journal of health psychology 20190122 2

<h4>Objectives</h4>Physical activity and healthy eating seem to be protective against experiencing stress and negative affect as well as increase positive affect. At the same time, previous studies showed that people reduce salutogenic behaviours such as physical activity and healthy eating in the face of stress and negative affect while increasing such behaviours in the context of positive affect. Due to daily fluctuations of these behaviours, the present study examined these relationships in d ...[more]

PMID: 30672069

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Project description:ObjectiveWe aimed to examine the association between food and physical activity environments in primary schools and child anthropometric, healthy eating and physical activity measures.DesignObservational longitudinal study using data from a childhood obesity prevention trial.SettingState primary schools in the West Midlands region, UK.Participants1392 pupils who participated in the WAVES (West Midlands ActiVe lifestyle and healthy Eating in School children) childhood obesity prevention trial (2011-2015).Primary and secondary outcome measuresSchool environment (exposure) was categorised according to questionnaire responses indicating their support for healthy eating and/or physical activity. Child outcome measures, undertaken at three time points (ages 5-6, 7-8 and 8-9 years), included body mass index z-scores, dietary intake (using a 24-hour food ticklist) and physical activity (using an Actiheart monitor over 5?days). Associations between school food and physical activity environment categories and outcomes were explored through multilevel models.ResultsData were available for 1304 children (94% of the study sample). At age 8-9 years, children in 10 schools with healthy eating and physical activity-supportive environments had a higher physical activity energy expenditure than those in 22 schools with less supportive healthy eating/physical activity environments (mean difference=5.3?kJ/kg body weight/24?hours; p=0.05). Children in schools with supportive physical activity environments (n=8) had a lower body mass index z-score than those in schools with less supportive healthy eating/physical activity environments (n=22; mean difference=-0.17, p=0.02). School food and physical activity promoting environments were not significantly associated with dietary outcomes.ConclusionsSchool environments that support healthy food and physical activity behaviours may positively influence physical activity and childhood obesity.Trial registration numberISRCTN97000586.

Project description:Regular physical activity (PA) is an important part of the treatment of several medical conditions, including overweight and obesity, in which there may be a weakened appetite control. Eating behaviour traits influence weight control and may be different in active and sedentary subjects. This paper reports the relationships between the time spent in sedentary behaviour and physical activity (PA) of different intensity, and eating behaviour traits in young, healthy adults. Additionally, it reports the results of a six-month-long, randomized, controlled trial to examine the effect of an exercise intervention on eating behaviour traits. A total of 139 young (22.06 ± 2.26 years) healthy adults (68.35% women) with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 24.95 ± 4.57 kg/m2 were enrolled. Baseline assessments of habitual PA were made using wrist-worn triaxial accelerometers; eating behaviour traits were examined via the self-reported questionnaires: Binge Eating, Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R18 and Control of Eating Questionnaire. The subjects were then randomly assigned to one of three groups: control (usual lifestyle), moderate-intensity exercise (aerobic and resistance training 3¨C4 days/week at a heart rate equivalent to 60% of the heart rate reserve (HRres) for the aerobic component, and at 50% of the 1 repetition maximum (RM) for the resistance component), or vigorous-intensity exercise (the same training but at 80% HRres for half of the aerobic training, and 70% RM for the resistance training). At baseline, sedentary behaviour was inversely associated with binge eating (r = -0.181, p < 0.05) and with uncontrolled eating (r = -0.286, p = 0.001). Moderate PA (MPA) was inversely associated with craving control (r = -0.188, p < 0.05). Moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) was directly associated with binge eating (r = 0.302, p < 0.001) and uncontrolled eating (r = 0.346, p < 0.001), and inversely associated with craving control (r = -0.170, p < 0.015). Overall, PA was directly associated with binge eating (r = 0.275, p = 0.001), uncontrolled eating (r = 0.321, p < 0.001) and emotional eating (r = 0.204, p < 0.05). Additionally, only emotional eating was modified by the intervention, increasing in the vigorous-intensity exercise group (p < 0.05). In summary, we observed that time spent in sedentary behaviour/PA of different intensity is associated with eating behaviour traits, especially binge eating in young adults. In contrast, the six-month exercise intervention did not lead to appreciable changes in eating behaviour traits.

Dataset Information

Bidirectional relationship of stress and affect with physical activity and healthy eating.

Objectives

Design and methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Bidirectional relationship of stress and affect with physical activity and healthy eating.

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