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Associations between food intake and psychosomatic symptoms in 16-year-old adolescents

Tell, Maria Norburg ; Hedin, Katarina LU ; Nilsson, Mats ; Golsäter, Marie and Lingfors, Hans (2024) In Scandinavian Journal of Public Health
Abstract

Aims: An increase in psychosomatic symptoms among adolescents has recently been reported. Few studies have examined the relation between food intake and psychosomatic symptoms. The aim was to study the association between food intake and overall psychosomatic burden and separate psychosomatic symptoms. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we used data from 6248 girls and 7153 boys in south-east Sweden who turned 16 years of age during the academic years 2009/2010 to 2015/2016 and responded to a health questionnaire at the school health services. The association between overall healthy food intake and a low psychosomatic burden was calculated as odds ratios (95% confidence interval) and stratified for other lifestyle habits and... (More)

Aims: An increase in psychosomatic symptoms among adolescents has recently been reported. Few studies have examined the relation between food intake and psychosomatic symptoms. The aim was to study the association between food intake and overall psychosomatic burden and separate psychosomatic symptoms. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we used data from 6248 girls and 7153 boys in south-east Sweden who turned 16 years of age during the academic years 2009/2010 to 2015/2016 and responded to a health questionnaire at the school health services. The association between overall healthy food intake and a low psychosomatic burden was calculated as odds ratios (95% confidence interval) and stratified for other lifestyle habits and gender. Results: Sixty-nine per cent of the boys and 35% of the girls had a low psychosomatic burden. There was a positive association between an overall healthy food intake and a low psychosomatic burden (P<0.0001), regardless of other lifestyle habits and gender. An overall healthy food intake was also positively associated with a lower frequency of the separate psychosomatic symptoms of concentration difficulties, sleep difficulties, a poor appetite or dizziness (P<0.0001). Conclusions: A healthy food intake seems to be associated with a low psychosomatic burden among adolescents. Further knowledge is needed to explore whether an improved food intake can reduce psychosomatic symptoms and enhance mental health.

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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
in press
subject
keywords
Adolescents, healthy food intake, psychosomatic symptoms
in
Scandinavian Journal of Public Health
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • pmid:38664874
  • scopus:85191322678
ISSN
1403-4948
DOI
10.1177/14034948241245770
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
2092aebb-3a86-4e8c-bb8e-181fad1aadab
date added to LUP
2024-05-06 13:07:12
date last changed
2024-05-20 15:23:51
@article{2092aebb-3a86-4e8c-bb8e-181fad1aadab,
  abstract     = {{<p>Aims: An increase in psychosomatic symptoms among adolescents has recently been reported. Few studies have examined the relation between food intake and psychosomatic symptoms. The aim was to study the association between food intake and overall psychosomatic burden and separate psychosomatic symptoms. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we used data from 6248 girls and 7153 boys in south-east Sweden who turned 16 years of age during the academic years 2009/2010 to 2015/2016 and responded to a health questionnaire at the school health services. The association between overall healthy food intake and a low psychosomatic burden was calculated as odds ratios (95% confidence interval) and stratified for other lifestyle habits and gender. Results: Sixty-nine per cent of the boys and 35% of the girls had a low psychosomatic burden. There was a positive association between an overall healthy food intake and a low psychosomatic burden (P&lt;0.0001), regardless of other lifestyle habits and gender. An overall healthy food intake was also positively associated with a lower frequency of the separate psychosomatic symptoms of concentration difficulties, sleep difficulties, a poor appetite or dizziness (P&lt;0.0001). Conclusions: A healthy food intake seems to be associated with a low psychosomatic burden among adolescents. Further knowledge is needed to explore whether an improved food intake can reduce psychosomatic symptoms and enhance mental health.</p>}},
  author       = {{Tell, Maria Norburg and Hedin, Katarina and Nilsson, Mats and Golsäter, Marie and Lingfors, Hans}},
  issn         = {{1403-4948}},
  keywords     = {{Adolescents; healthy food intake; psychosomatic symptoms}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{Scandinavian Journal of Public Health}},
  title        = {{Associations between food intake and psychosomatic symptoms in 16-year-old adolescents}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/14034948241245770}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/14034948241245770}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}