| dc.description.abstract |
Meal skipping is a common disordered eating behavior in college-aged individuals.
This behavior is associated with a variety of health risks, including nutritional
deficits and an increased risk for eating pathology. Research has indicated that meal
skipping is also associated with impairments in various domains of cognitive functioning,
including in tasks involving working memory, sustained attention, and set-shifting
ability. However, a "post-lunch dip" in cognitive performance has been shown in individuals
who consume lunch for approximately two hours after consumption. Possible moderating
factors within the relationship between meal skipping and cognitive functioning have
yet to be examined, particularly in regards to the presence of psychopathology. Both
depression and anxiety symptoms have been associated with impairments in tasks involving
working memory, sustained attention, set-shifting ability, and motor speed, indicating
that individuals with these disorders may be particularly vulnerable to cognitive
impairments seen with meal skipping behavior. This study investigated how skipping
lunch affects various domains of cognitive functioning (working memory, sustained
attention, set-shifting ability, and motor speed) after the post-lunch dip period
in a sample of college students (aged 18-25; N = 99), primarily focusing on whether
depression and/or anxiety symptoms moderate this relationship. Understanding the mechanisms
by which meal skipping behavior affects cognition by examining potential moderating
effects of common eating disorder comorbidities, such as depression and anxiety, has
implications for encouraging healthier eating habits and preventing eating disorder
onset in a vulnerable population.
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