Lay Summary

Students often experience mental health problems when moving from home to university, whilst their diet deteriorates at the same time; hence, we reviewed studies to examine any associations between diet quality and mental health of university students. Most studies found that a good diet quality was associated with better mental health, whereas students experiencing stress and anxiety were more likely to have a poorer diet quality. Further research may establish whether public health interventions targeting diet quality of university students might have a positive effect on their mental health, and whether providing support to students under stress may lead to healthier dietary habits when living on campuses.

Background

University students are at risk of experiencing mental health problems during the transition from home to university. This transition can also adversely affect their diet quality. This review examines evidence from observational studies for the association of diet quality with mental health of university students, as well as the association of mood-related mental health issues with the diet quality of university students.

Methods

The databases PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, The Cochrane Library and Web of Science were searched using relevant search terms.

Results

29 out of 37 studies found that good diet quality of students was associated with better mental health in terms of depression, anxiety, stress, and overall general mental wellbeing. 18 out of 21 studies found that stress and anxiety of students were associated with poorer diet quality. The effect sizes observed were generally small-moderate.

Conclusion

A healthy diet of students has been associated with better mental health in terms of depression, anxiety, stress or other mental health issues. Stress experienced by university students has been associated with a lack of healthy diet. There are public mental health implications and scope for further research. Randomised control trials could determine whether interventions to improve diet quality at the university level could reduce mental health issues, and whether providing support to students under stress may lead to healthier dietary habits when living on campuses.