RELATIONSHIP OF HABITUAL DIETARY INTAKE AND

MOOD OF MEDICAL STUDENTS OF UERMMMCI:

A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY
Christian Castillo, Cristina Castillo, Rizza Carreon, Kline Prescotte Castillano, Benedict Castillo, Armina Jill Chan, Charmaine Chan, Sarah
Kermina Chan, Mianda Margarette Chin, Chi-Sen Chou, Dominique Paolo Chua, Lanz Matthew Chua, Prince Robert Chua, John Daniel Co
Research adviser: Maria Peñafrancia L. Adversario, M.D., FPPS, MSPH

ABSTRACT
Medical students are faced with many stressors may it be in the form
of academic, social, personal or financial pressures. These stressors have then
become negative factors that have led to poor dietary intake in medical
students. A cross-sectional analytic study was conducted on 240 medical
students from a tertiary medical center to determine the types of food related
to a particular mood. Habitual dietary intake was measured by using the Fat-
and Fiber-related Behavior questionnaire (FFB) while mood was measured
using the Profile of Mood States questionnaire (POMS). Median scores were
used to describe and summarize the fiber and fat dimensions of diet and mood
states. Relationship between subscales of FFB and POMS were analyzed
using correspondence analysis. Findings show a preference for healthier
sources of fiber in the diet. Mood states reveal moderate tension, little
depression, anger and confusion but with moderate vigor. Correspondence
analysis biplots revealed potential relationship between healthier food
preferences and positive mood states
Relationships between Consumption of Fat and Fiber and Mood States
Results of correspondence analysis show potential relationships between study
variables on the basis of proximity or distance between points. There was a
possible relationship between the following:
A. Always eating fruits and vegetables and not having tension
B. Never taking fruits and vegetables and quite a bit of confusion
C. Always eating cereals and grains and quite a bit of vigor
D. Sometimes taking cereals and grains and a little fatigue
E. Sometimes substituting specially manufactured low-fat food and a little tension
F. Never replacing high-fat food with fruits and vegetables and quite a bit of
depression
G. Never replacing high-fat food with fruits and vegetables and extreme fatigue
H. Never modifying meat to be low in fat and quite a bit of anger
I. Always modifying meat to be low in fat and extreme vigor
J. Sometimes avoiding fat as a flavoring and quite a bit of confusion

INTRODUCTION
Medical students are in a delicate position as obtaining a medical
degree is a stressful endeavor. These students are faced with many stressors
that may be classified into three different groups namely, academic pressures,
social and personal pressures, and lastly, financial pressures. These have then
become factors that have negatively influenced the diet of medical students.
Therefore, the objectives of this study were to determine the habitual dietary
intake of the participants, to determine what moods are commonly felt by
medical students in all year levels, and to determine what types of food or
dietary practices are related with positive and/or negative mood.

METHODOLOGY
Sampling criteria
Inclusion: Regular and healthy students
Exclusion: Irregular or students with illness Figure 1. Possible relationship between fruits/vegetables and tension

Convenience sampling DISCUSSION

Based on the results of this study, it is evident that the medians of the
n=240; 60 per year level FFB subscales in each year level are not very different from one another. This
may be due to the similar environment in which all the participants came from.
With regards to POMS, the majority of the medians of the POMS subscales in
Questionnaire (FFB+POMS) each year level indicated that negative mood was not high. However, it is
probable that because the study was conducted during the start of the school
year, workload was still not too heavy so students consequently did not feel so
Correspondence analysis via IBM negative.
SPSS v 25 software
In relating the findings from FFB to that of POMS, it was found that
possible relationships may exist between sometimes taking cereals and grains
and a little fatigue, and never replacing high-fat food with fruits and vegetables
RESULTS and extreme fatigue. Therefore, increasing intake of fiber could be associated
Table 1. Median of fiber subscales per year level and composite of the medians with decreased fatigue. Moreover, it was also found in our study that there may
from all year levels. also be relationships between never taking fruits and vegetables or sometimes
Fiber Subscalesa avoiding fat as flavoring with having quite a bit of confusion. Therefore,
Year Level FIB SUB1 FIB SUB2 FIB SUB3 TOT FIB existing data from different studies including our own do not reach an
1st Year 2.00 2.00 3.00 2.00 agreement with regards to the relationship between high intake of fruits and
nd
2 Year 2.50 2.00 3.00 2.00 vegetables or lowering the fat content of meat products with confusion.
3rd Year 2.50 2.00 2.00 2.00 There may also be a possible relationship among always taking fruits
4th Year 2.00 2.00 3.00 2.00 and vegetables and not having tension, sometimes substituting especially
Overall 2.25 2.00 3.00 2.00 manufactured low-fat food and having a little tension, and never replacing
a 1 = usually, always; 2 = sometimes; 3 = rarely, never
high-fat food with fruits and vegetables and having quite a bit of depression.
Table 2. Median of fat subscales per year level and composite of the medians
Hence, an increase in intake of fruits and vegetables could be related to a
from all year levels. decrease in stress or tension. In addition, a possible relationship was also found
Fat Subscalesa between never modifying meat to be low in fat with having quite a bit of anger
Year Level FAT SUB1 FAT SUB2 FAT SUB3 FAT SUB4 FAT SUB5 TOT FAT and conversely, always modifying meat to be low in fat and having extreme
vigor. Therefore, a decrease in intake of low-fat meat could be related to
1st Year 2.50 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00
nd increased hostility.
2 Year 3.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00
rd
With regards to the sole subscale measure a positive mood on the other
3 Year 2.50 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 hand, a probable relationship was also found between always taking cereals
4th Year 2.50 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 and grains and having quite a bit of vigor. Thus, an increase in fiber intake
Overall 2.75 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 could be associated with an increase in vigor.
a 1 = usually, always; 2 = sometimes; 3 = rarely, never

Table 3. Median of POMS subscales for each year level and composite of medians
from all year levels.
POMS Subscalesa CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Year level TENSION DEPRESSION ANGER VIGOR FATIGUE CONFUSION
This study showed that different food groups could possibly have a
1st Year 2.00 1.00 1.00 2.50 2.00 1.00 relationship with a certain mood states. Therefore, with knowledge of what we
2nd Year 1.00 1.00 1.00 2.00 1.00 1.00 have obtained from this research, coupled with the findings of similar studies,
3rd Year 1.00 0.00 0.50 2.50 1.00 1.00 students may become more informed and could modify their food choices so
4th Year 2.00 1.50 1.75 2.25 2.00 2.00 as to not aggravate a certain mood or conversely, if they want to change their
Overall 1.50 0.75 0.63 2.38 1.50 0.50 mood. Moreover, schools may also use the findings as validation to take action,
a 0 = not at all; 1 = a little; 2 = moderate; 3 = quite a bit; 4 = extremely like in putting healthier food stalls inside their campus.