Dietary consumption and happiness and depression among university students: A cross-national survey

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationships between fruit and vegetable consumption and happiness and depression among university students in a cross-national survey. Using anonymous questionnaires, data were collected from 18 522 undergraduate university students (mean age 20.9, SD = 2.4) from 29 universities in 28 countries across Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Results indicate that the amount of fruit and vegetable consumption was positively associated with happiness and inversely associated with depression. Healthier behaviour patterns of fruit and vegetable consumption was associated with higher happiness and lower depression scores among university students across 28 countries.

Keywords:

• depression
• fruits
• happiness
• vegetables
• consumption

Acknowledgements

The following colleagues participated in this student health survey and contributed to data collection (locations of universities in parentheses): Bangladesh: Gias Uddin Ahsan (Dhaka); Barbados: T. Alafia Samuels (Bridgetown); Cameroon: Jacques Philippe Tsala (Yaounde); China: Tony Yung and Xiaoyan Xu (Hong Kong and Chengdu); Colombia: Carolina Mantilla (Pamplona); Egypt: Alaa Abou-Zeid (Cairo); Grenada: Omowale Amuleru-Marshall (St. George); India: Krishna Mohan (Visakhapatnam); Indonesia: Erna Rochmawati (Yogyakarta), Ivory Coast: Issaka Tiembre (Abidjan); Jamaica: Caryl James (Kingston); Kyrgyzstan: Erkin M Mirrakhimov (Bishkek); Laos: Vanphanom Sychareun (Vientiane); Madagascar: Onya H Rahamefy (Antananarivo); Malaysia: Wah Yun Low (Kuala Lumpur); Mauritius: Hemant Kumar Kassean (Réduit, Moka); Myanmar: Hla Hla Win (Yangon); Namibia: Pempelani Mufune (Windhoek); Nigeria: Solu Olowu (Ile-Ife); Pakistan: Rehana Reman (Karachi); Philippines: Alice Ferrer (Miagao); Russia: Alexander Gasparishvili (Moscow); Singapore: Mee Lian Wong (Singapore); South Africa: Tholene Sodi (Polokwane); Thailand: Tawatchai Apidechkul (Chiang Rai); Tunisia: Hajer Aounallah-Skhiri (Tunis); Turkey: Neslihan Keser Özcan (Istanbul); Venezuela: Yajaira M Bastardo (Caracas), Vietnam: Thang Nguyen Huu (Hanoi).