Role of Diet, Sleep, and Lifestyle in Mental and Physical Health

Description

Page: 586-592

Veena Gupta¹ and Khushboo Gauttam² (Department of Psychology, Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi, Delhi¹ and Department of Psychology, Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar College, University of Delhi, Delhi²)

The aim of the present research was to examine the predictors of mental health and physical illness across four age groups in terms of diet, physical activity, quality of sleep, and perceived social support. The study adopted a cross-sectional quantitative research design involving 400 participants (13 to 70 years) using standardized scales, and Pearson’s correlation and multiple linear regression were used to analyse the data. Findings revealed that better quality of sleep, greater perceived social support, and lower intake of ultra-processed foods were substantially correlated with better mental health and less physical illness. Physical activity, in turn, was not significantly correlated with either of the outcomes. Regression analysis corroborated that the quality of sleep and the perceived social support effectively predicted mental health, whereas only quality of sleep was a significant predictor of physical illness. Additionally, better mental health correlated significantly with lower physical illness. These findings imply the importance of these variables in designing interventions aimed at promoting mental health and alleviating physical illness among people across different ages.