Observational Study: Good Nutrition and Psychological Well-Being

Abstract

Psychological well-being appears important to one’s sense of fulfillment and harmony in life as psychological well-being may include positive emotions, life satisfaction, personal growth, and a sense of purpose. Previous research has found a link between adequate nutrition and higher psychological well-being (Veenhoven, 2019). Building on this research, this study aims to explore the relationship between restaurant choice and psychological well-being among University of Maryland students. A naturalistic observational research design was used to assess if students who choose healthier restaurants, such as Saladworks or Qdoba, exhibited greater psychological well-being behaviors such as smiling, laughing, and sitting upright rather than slouched, compared to those who opted for unhealthier establishments, such as Union Pizza or Chick Fil A. As predicted, students who frequent healthier restaurants demonstrated significantly more signs of psychological well-being. These findings could have implications for mental health advocates, highlighting the importance of promoting healthier eating habits among college students. Implementations of these findings can be used to support social media campaigns raising awareness of disproportionately high prices of healthy food and the promotion of making healthy food more affordable. Future research could further explore this relationship experimentally, potentially leading to interventions aimed at improving psychological well-being through dietary choices.