University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Anxiety, eating, and the foodwork practices of individuals living alone

Ciubotariu, Iulia

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CIUBOTARIU-THESIS-2023.pdf

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/121560

Description

Title
Anxiety, eating, and the foodwork practices of individuals living alone
Author(s)
Ciubotariu, Iulia
Issue Date
2023-07-21
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
  • Prescott, Melissa
  • Oleschuk, Merin
Department of Study
Food Science & Human Nutrition
Discipline
Food Science & Human Nutrition
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
M.S.
Degree Level
Thesis
Keyword(s)
  • living alone
  • anxiety
  • stress
  • eating
  • cooking
  • foodwork
  • qualitative
Abstract
Living alone (LA) is becoming increasingly common, with 28% of households in the U.S. being single-person households. Although LA is common and on the rise, research often neglects this group of individuals, especially in relation to nutrition and mental health. Previous research shows that individuals LA may be at increased risk of poor mental health and nutrient intake. Still, the interplay between nutrition and mental health in the context of LA is understudied. This study aims to identify how anxiety manifests around food within the context of LA and how individuals cope with those anxieties. The first paper in this thesis is a literature review that was conducted to understand food-related behaviors and attitudes seen in single-person households and how they are associated with health and nutrition outcomes. The electronic search was conducted on PsycInfo, SocIndex, Scopus, and PubMed and yielded 36 papers. Included literature outcomes were grouped into four categories: eating patterns and types of foods consumed, nutrients and food groups, cooking practices and related behaviors, and bodies and health status. The review indicated that solo-living individuals might be more likely to have poor nutritional intake than those living with others. Specific eating patterns, eating practices, and foodwork practices were household-type dependent, such as eating alone, eating out, and skipping meals. Other practices were independent of living situation, such as meal times. The review indicated that those LA were more likely to be malnourished and have a higher disease risk. Women LA were more likely to eat alongside dietary recommendations, while men LA were more at risk of poor nutrition. Elderly individuals valued food taste and perceived healthiness, preferred home-cooked over convenience meals, and ate out less. They were also vulnerable to poor nutritional status and nutritional deficiencies. Additionally, the literature review identified that widows LA might have other eating and foodwork practices than non-widowed individuals LA. Women widows reported snacking more often, having fewer regular meal times, eating more convenience foods, and cooking less. Additional research is needed to understand further the relationship between LA and nutrition among different demographics. In conclusion, research suggests that eating and foodwork practices, nutrient intake, and health status may be related to the living situation, gender, and age. The second paper draws from data from the larger Cooking for One (C4O) qualitative study conducted between May and November 2021. The C4O project took a qualitative approach to study the relationship between eating, foodwork, and LA. The study was conducted in three Illinois counties: Champaign (metropolitan), Knox (rural), and McDonough (rural). Participants were recruited through various methods: flyers advertising the study posted in grocery stores, targeted emails to community hub members through Extension networks, and online eWeek announcements. The eligibility criteria were individuals over 18, LA full-time in Champaign, Knox, or McDonough County. Participants first completed a demographic survey, participated in the first semi-structured interview, completed a food diary and photovoice, and participated in the second semi-structured interview. After each interview, participants received a $30 gift card to a grocery store. Participants were instructed to record their food intake for seven consecutive days in the food diaries. For the photovoice, participants were asked to take photos that communicated the role of food or foodwork in their lives. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded. The data was organized through an initial open coding process, where broad themes were identified and categorized. There was a total of 59 participants, 57.6% of which were female, 33.9% male, and 8.5% identified as gender non-conforming (e.g., trans, non-binary, gender fluid). The present study focused on the participants’ anxiety and stress manifestation in the context of LA, eating, and foodwork practices. The following five major themes emerged: health and body-related anxieties, anxieties around lack of food knowledge or cooking confidence, anxiety around the social performance of cooking or eating, anxiety symptoms manifesting in food, and coping mechanisms to lessen anxiety and stress. This study showed the nuances of anxiety around food within the context of LA. Various pressures increased participants’ anxiety and stress concerning body shape, health, and cooking self-efficacy. Foodwork sometimes aggravated their already existing anxieties and stress. As a coping strategy, participants opted for convenience food items. Other participants’ anxiety around foodwork and eating was alleviated due to decreased expectations that come with living and cooking alone. For many participants, eating comfort food served as a coping mechanism for outside anxiety and stress. Foods that were most often mentioned as comfort foods were generally energy dense. Further research is needed to understand more about the relationship between LA, food, and anxiety, especially about what is unique to LA compared to other living situations. This research has several implications, such as informing clinicians and future interventions in populations that LA and deal with anxiety. This can include interventions to increase cooking self-efficacy and body image, which may lower related anxieties. Additionally, this research can inform clinicians, such as dietitians and physicians, to better understand the patient population who LA and further personalize their treatments.
Graduation Semester
2023-08
Type of Resource
Thesis
Handle URL
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/121560
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2023 Iulia Ciubotariu

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