Piece of Cake: Coping with COVID-19

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Public Health
• Nutrition Science

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated public health measures like stay-at-home orders and teleworking.
• Significant employment changes, including layoffs and reduced hours, occurred alongside the pandemic.
• Increased reports of
• pandemic baking
• suggested altered eating behaviors as a stress response.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between employment changes, stress, coping mechanisms, and eating behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To assess how job loss or reduced hours influenced stress appraisals and emotional responses.
• To determine if negative affect resulting from employment changes was linked to specific dietary choices.

Main Methods:

• An online survey was administered to 680 participants in Canada and the United States.
• Regression models were employed to analyze the associations between employment status, stress, coping strategies, and food choices.
• Data collected focused on stress appraisals, coping responses (avoidant- and emotion-focused), negative affect, and eating behaviors.

Main Results:

• Reduced work hours and layoffs were significantly associated with higher stress appraisals and increased use of emotion-focused coping.
• Participants experiencing employment changes reported greater negative affect.
• Negative affect was a key mediator linking stressful employment situations to eating to cope and unhealthy snack consumption (salty/sweet treats).

Conclusions:

• Employment changes during the COVID-19 pandemic acted as a significant stressor, influencing coping strategies and emotional well-being.
• Stress-induced negative affect can lead to maladaptive eating behaviors, such as consuming unhealthy snacks.
• These findings highlight the vulnerability of dietary choices and nutritional balance under pandemic-related stress, underscoring the need for targeted support.