# Associations between food intake and psychosomatic symptoms in 16-year-old adolescents

## TL;DR

This study found that healthy food intake is linked to fewer psychosomatic symptoms in 16-year-old adolescents, regardless of gender or other lifestyle factors.

## Contribution

The study provides new evidence on the association between healthy food intake and reduced psychosomatic symptoms in adolescents.

## Key findings

- 69% of boys and 35% of girls had a low psychosomatic burden.
- Healthy food intake was positively associated with a low psychosomatic burden and fewer specific symptoms like sleep difficulties and dizziness.
- The association remained significant after adjusting for other lifestyle habits and gender.

## Abstract

An increase in psychosomatic symptoms among adolescents has recently been reported. Few studies have examined the relation between food intake and psychosomatic symptoms. The aim was to study the association between food intake and overall psychosomatic burden and separate psychosomatic symptoms.

In this cross-sectional study, we used data from 6248 girls and 7153 boys in south-east Sweden who turned 16 years of age during the academic years 2009/2010 to 2015/2016 and responded to a health questionnaire at the school health services. The association between overall healthy food intake and a low psychosomatic burden was calculated as odds ratios (95% confidence interval) and stratified for other lifestyle habits and gender.

Sixty-nine per cent of the boys and 35% of the girls had a low psychosomatic burden. There was a positive association between an overall healthy food intake and a low psychosomatic burden (P<0.0001), regardless of other lifestyle habits and gender. An overall healthy food intake was also positively associated with a lower frequency of the separate psychosomatic symptoms of concentration difficulties, sleep difficulties, a poor appetite or dizziness (P<0.0001).

A healthy food intake seems to be associated with a low psychosomatic burden among adolescents. Further knowledge is needed to explore whether an improved food intake can reduce psychosomatic symptoms and enhance mental health.