Stress and Health

14.1 Stress and Health

Topic: What is the relationship between stress and eating habits?

Statistical Concepts Covered:

In this applet, you’ll learn more about relationships by looking at categorical data. We will also discuss issues with using self-reported data.

Introduction

Your text chapter discusses the importance of healthy eating, exercise, and not smoking as part of a healthy lifestyle. All of these behaviors, however, can be affected by stress and how we cope with that stress. The data for this applet comes from a longitudinal study of 16-year-old boys and girls in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 (Jääskeläinen, Nevanperä, Remes, Rahkonen, Järvelin, & Laitinen, 2014). Followed since birth, these teens were asked a variety of questions about their dietary, and other health related behaviors, as well as assessed to determine if they are a stress-driven or non-stress-driven eater. Our analysis of this data will focus on comparing the sexes (males and females) and eater types (stress-driven and non-stress-driven) for different behaviors to determine the relationship between these variables.

Richard Alan Hullinger, Indiana University, Bloomington
Melanie Maggard, University of the Rockies

Statistical Lesson. In previous applets we considered correlations and how we use them to look at a relationship between two variables. These variables were always numerical, meaning we were looking at the relationship between two sets of numbers. Did they increase together or did one increase as the other decreased? But how do we look at a relationship when we have two variables that are categorical? Categorical variables have different groups or categories to them, such as sex, race, college major, occupation, etc. There is no single number being measured, only whether or not someone fits into a particular category.

In order to look at a relationship between these types of categorical variables, for example between sex and college major, we must use tests that compare the frequencies that make up each combination of the two variables. In this case, we’d be looking at whether or not there are any differences in the number of males or females that major in psychology, business, or biology. In other words, are females more likely to be a business, psychology, or biology major? Do females major in these topics at the same rates as males? In this applet we will be looking at the relationship between various categorical variables, such as type of eater and/or sex and eating behaviors. As with correlations, any tests that look at relationships should focus only on that relationship and not imply causality.

Question

1) Do stress-driven eaters consume certain foods at different quantities? Compare chocolate, ice cream, and hamburgers and pizza. Which food(s) do stress-driven eaters eat more often? (Select “Hamburgers and pizzas”, “Chocolate”, and “Ice cream” as the foods to display. Select both boxes inside “Amount or frequency” and both boxes inside “Sex”.)

Approximately 26% of stress-driven eaters report eating ice cream 3-5 times a week or more often, which was more than those who ate chocolate (13%) or hamburgers and pizza (7%) at the same rate.

Approximately 13% of stress-driven eaters report eating chocolate 3-5 times a week or more often, which was more than those who ate ice cream (74%) or hamburgers and pizza (7%) at the same rate.

Approximately 93% of stress-driven eaters report eating hamburgers and pizza 3-5 times a week or more often, which was more than those who ate chocolate (87%) or ice cream (74%) at the same rate.

Approximately 26% of stress-driven eaters report eating ice cream 3-5 times a week or more often, which was less than those who ate chocolate (87%) or hamburgers and pizza (93%) at the same rate.

Correct.

Incorrect.

Question

2) Based on the graphs used for question 1, how did the stress-driven eaters compare to the non-stress-driven eaters for these foods?

For two of the three food types (ice cream and chocolate), stress-driven eaters were more likely to eat these foods at a higher rate than non-stress driven eaters. However, non-stress-driven eaters were more likely to eat hamburgers and pizzas at a higher rate.

For all three food types, stress-driven eaters were less likely to eat these foods at a higher rate than non-stress-driven eaters.

For all three food types, stress-driven eaters were more likely to eat these foods at a higher rate than non-stress-driven eaters.

For one of the three food types (hamburgers and pizza), stress-driven eaters were more likely to eat these foods at a higher rate than non-stress-driven eaters. However, non-stress-driven eaters were more likely to eat ice cream and chocolate at a higher rate.

Correct.

Incorrect.

Question

3) How do stress-driven eaters compare to non-stress-driven eaters in terms of other behaviors, such as binge eating, using heavy exercise to control weight, and using a strict diet to control weight? (Select “Binge eating”, “Heavy exercise to control weight”, and “Strict diet to control weight” as the behaviors to display. Select the four boxes available inside “Amount or frequency”, while leaving both boxes inside “Sex” unchecked.)

Stress-driven eaters are more likely to use heavy exercise to control weight but less likely to binge eat or use a strict diet to control weight than non-stress-driven eaters.

Stress-driven eaters are more likely to use heavy exercise to control weight, binge eat, and use a strict diet to control weight than non-stress-driven eaters.

Stress-driven eaters are more likely to use heavy exercise and a strict diet to control weight but less likely to binge eat than non-stress-driven eaters.

Stress-driven eaters are less likely to use heavy exercise to control weight, binge eat, and use a strict diet to control weight than non-stress-driven eaters.

Correct.

Incorrect.

Question

4) Is physical activity related to stress-driven eating? Compare stress-driven eaters to non-stress-driven eaters in terms of their physical activity. (Select “Physical activity” as the behavior to display. Select the three boxes available inside “Amount or frequency”, while leaving the “Sex” boxes unchecked.)

No, stress-driven eaters are less likely to be physically active for more time than non-stress-driven eaters.

Yes, stress-driven eaters are more likely to be physically active for more time than non-stress-driven eaters.

No, stress-driven eaters report being physically active for about the same amount of time as non-stress driven eaters.

Yes, stress-driven eaters are more likely to be physically active for more time than non-stress-driven eaters, but less likely to be physically active at smaller intervals.

Correct.

Incorrect.

Question

5) In the previous questions we focused only on eater type, not on sex. How do stress-driven eaters compare to non-stress-driven eaters in terms of binge eating, using heaving exercise to control weight, and using a strict diet to control weight, when taking into consideration the person’s sex (male or female)? In other words, what is the combined effect of being male or female and being a stress-driven or non-stress-driven eater on these behaviors? (Select “Binge eating”, “Heavy exercise to control weight”, and “Strict diet to control weight” as the behaviors to display. Select the four boxes available inside “Amount or frequency” and both boxes inside “Sex”.)

Male stress-driven eaters are more likely to use heavy exercise and a strict diet to control weight, while female stress-driven eaters are more likely to binge eat.

Male stress-driven eaters are more likely to use heavy exercise to control weight but less likely to binge eat or use a strict diet to control weight than female stress-driven eaters.

Female stress-driven eaters are less likely to use heavy exercise to control weight, binge eat, and use a strict diet to control weight than female non-stress-driven eaters and all males.

Female stress-driven eaters are more likely to use heavy exercise to control weight and use a strict diet to control weight, while male stress-driven eaters are more likely to binge eat.

Correct.

Incorrect.

Question

6) Similar to what you did in question 5, compare male and female stress-driven and non-stress-driven eaters for sugar-free soft-drinks. What patterns are there in this data? (Select “Sugar-free soft-drinks” as the food to display. Select the two boxes available inside “Amount or frequency” and both boxes inside “Sex”.)

Stress-driven eaters did not really differ in their consumption of sugar-free soft-drinks from non-stress-driven eaters. Also, there was no difference in males and females in their consumption of these drinks.

Stress-driven eaters had much lower consumption of sugar-free soft-drinks than non-stress-driven eaters. Also, males consumed these drinks much more frequently than females.

Stress-driven eaters had slightly lower consumption of sugar-free soft-drinks than non-stress-driven eaters, but this difference was minor. Also, there was no difference in males and females in their consumption of these drinks.

Stress-driven eaters had much higher consumption of sugar-free soft-drinks than non-stress-driven eaters. Also, females consumed these drinks much more frequently than males.

Correct.

Incorrect.

Question

7) Continuing with our analysis of sex and eater type, compare male and female stress-driven and non-stress-driven eaters in terms of sleep. What patterns are there in this data? (Select “Sleeping” as the behavior to display. Select the three boxes available inside “Amount or frequency” and both boxes inside “Sex”.)

Though the majority of teens got 8-9 hours of sleep, they were more likely to get less than 8 hours than more than 9 hours, and female stress-driven eaters were more likely to sleep the least.

Teens were evenly dispersed between the three levels of sleep, but female stress-driven eaters slept the longest.

Though the majority of teens got less than 8 hours of sleep, female stress-driven eaters slept the least.

Though the majority of teens got more than 9 hours of sleep, they were more likely to get less than 8 hours than 8-9 hours, and female stress-driven eaters slept the longest.

Correct.

Incorrect.

Question

8) What are potential issues with the survey method used to collect data from the adolescents in this study?

These teens may not have been able to accurately recall the number of times they did certain behaviors.

These teens may not have provided correct data due to providing more socially appropriate responses, especially in regards to drinking alcohol, tobacco usage, binge eating, etc.

These teens may not have provided correct data due to demand characteristics of responding how they thought they were expected to respond.

All of these issues could have affected the data collection in this study.

Correct.

Incorrect.

Question

9) Of the 9432 children in the original sample of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 (NFBC1986), 74% provided data at age 16 on stress-related eating behaviors used in this study. Based on this information, what should we take into consideration when interpreting the data?

The results are probably representative of teens in other countries, but those who provided data from the original sample may be different than those who did not.

The results may not be representative of teens in other countries or parts of the world, but those in the original sample who provided data are probably the same as those who did not.

The results may not be representative of teens in other countries or parts of the world, and those in the original sample who provided data may be different than those who did not.

There are no considerations needed as the results are probably representative of teens in other countries, and those who provided data from the original sample are probably the same as those who did not.

Correct.

Incorrect.

Question

10) Based on what you’ve learned from the data explored in this applet and the readings in the chapter on stress and health, what would be the best conclusion we can reach regarding the relationship between sex and eater type on various behaviors?

Some teens deal with stress using negative forms of body management, such as overeating, drinking, smoking, or excessive dieting and exercising to control weight.

The relationship is simple, being a stress-driven eater makes a teen use negative forms of body management to deal with stress.

Very few teens deal with stress using negative forms of body management, such as overeating, drinking, smoking, or excessive dieting and exercising to control weight.

All teens deal with stress using negative forms of body management, such as overeating, drinking, smoking, or excessive dieting and exercising to control weight.

Correct.

Incorrect.

Chapter 14. Stress and Health

14.1 Stress and Health

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