Relationship Between Mental Health and Eating Behavior

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to the determine if mental health status contributes to less chewing before swallowing among adolescent and young adults.
Methods: This study enrolled 101 subjects (53 males and 48 females), ranging in age from 12 to 24 years. Anthropometry and maximum occlusal force were measured in all subjects. Masticatory performance and swallowing threshold (including the number of chewing cycles, chewing time, and chewing rate), were determined according to the concentration of dissolved glucose obtained from gummy jellies. Low swallowing threshold was defined as glucose concentrations in the lowest 20th percentile. The 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was used to assess mental health status and categorized into poor (score 3–12) and normal (score 0–2). After univariate analysis, multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with low swallowing threshold.
Results: In the bivariate analysis, swallowing threshold was significantly negatively correlated with the GHQ score (r=-0.406, p<0.01). Binomial logistic regression analysis revealed that factors associated with low swallowing threshold included poor mental health (odds ratio [OR]=3.855, p=0.036, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.092–14.328) and a lower number of chewing cycles (OR=0.748, p<0.0001, 95% CI=0.632–0.853).
Conclusions: Less chewing before swallowing is closely associated with poor mental health among adolescent and young adults.