Differing Experiences of Boredom During the Pandemic and Associations With Dietary Behaviors

To examine how changes in feeling bored and eating because of boredom during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic relate to intuitive eating, diet quality, and snacking.

A representative sample of 360 US adults completed an online survey including changes in feeling bored and eating because of boredom since the COVID-19 pandemic. An ANCOVA and multivariate analysis of covariance were used to examine relationships between intuitive eating, diet quality, and snacking in individuals who experienced: (1) increases in feeling bored and eating because of boredom, (2) eating because of boredom only, (3) increases in feeling bored only, and (4) no change/decreases in feeling bored and eating because of boredom.

Individuals who increased feeling bored and eating because of boredom and increased eating because of boredom only snacked more and scored lower in intuitive eating. Diet quality did not differ across groups.

Although diet quality did not differ, eating because of boredom is potentially a negative impact on diet quality. Programs enhancing intuitive eating may be helpful.