Association Between Anxiety and Diet Quality Among Polish Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

Anxiety can influence dietary choices and habits, but dietary choices and habits can also contribute to the intensification of anxiety symptoms. The study aimed to test the hypothesis that a higher level of anxiety predicts poorer diet quality among adults in Poland.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1841 individuals aged 18 years and older across Poland. A self-developed survey drew upon the KomPAN questionnaire, the Healthy Eating Plate with its accompanying infographic and the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between anxiety level and gender, age, nutritional status, and other sociodemographic factors. The same approach was applied to evaluate the relationship between diet quality and the aforementioned variables. In addition, hierarchical clustering of variables was performed using Ward's method.

Nearly half of the respondents presented a high level of anxiety (48.29%), while most reported a low-quality diet (64.58%). Participants aged 18-22 years were significantly more likely to exhibit both high anxiety levels (aOR = 1.614; 95% CI: 1.327-1.964; p < 0.001) and low diet quality (aOR = 1.810; 95% CI: 1.482-2.211; p < 0.001) compared to older groups. The findings support the hypothesis that higher anxiety levels are linked to poorer diet quality, particularly among young adults.

Higher levels of anxiety were shown to be significantly associated with poorer diet quality, with the strongest effects observed in the youngest age group. These results highlight the need for integrated psychological and nutritional interventions targeting this group. Further longitudinal studies are warranted to clarify the directionality of the observed associations.