TY - JOUR

T1 - Identifying future study designs for mental health and social wellbeing associated with diets of a cohort living in Eco-Regions: Findings from the INSUM Expert Workshop

AU - Elsner, Friederike

AU - Matthiessen, Lea Ellen

AU - Średnicka-Tober, Dominika

AU - Marx, Wolfgang

AU - O'Neil, Adrienne

AU - Welch, Ailsa

AU - Hayhoe, Richard

AU - Higgs, Suzanne

AU - van Vliet, Marja

AU - Morphew-Lu, Ephimia

AU - Kazimierczak, Renata

AU - Góralska-Walczak, Rita

AU - Bruun, Thea Steenbuch Krabbe

AU - Philippi Rosane, Beatriz

AU - Bügel, Susanne Gjedsted

AU - Strassner, Carola

N1 - CURIS 2023 NEXS 007

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Diets influence our mental health and social wellbeing (MHSW) in multiple ways. A rising community concept, Eco-Regions, has gained interest. The research project “Indicators for assessment of health effects of consumption of sustainable, organic school meals in Ecoregions” (INSUM) aims to develop future-oriented research approaches to measure the potential health effects of more sustainable and healthy diets. This first part of the project focuses on MHSW with the goal to identify suitable study designs and indicators. The methodology is based on a 2-day workshop with an interdisciplinary group of experts. This paper describes commonly applied research methods on the nexus between diet and MHSW as presented by the experts and summarises key points from the discussions. The results show that the dominating tool to investigate MSHW is questionnaires. Questionnaires vary largely depending on the research design, such as participants or distribution channels. Cohort studies addressing families and including in-depth interventional and/or experimental studies may be suitable for an Eco-Region investigation. Those MHSW studies can be conducted and combined with measurements of somatic health effects. We conclude that indicators should be seen as complementary rather than independent. Explorative research designs are required to investigate complex Eco-Regions.

AB - Diets influence our mental health and social wellbeing (MHSW) in multiple ways. A rising community concept, Eco-Regions, has gained interest. The research project “Indicators for assessment of health effects of consumption of sustainable, organic school meals in Ecoregions” (INSUM) aims to develop future-oriented research approaches to measure the potential health effects of more sustainable and healthy diets. This first part of the project focuses on MHSW with the goal to identify suitable study designs and indicators. The methodology is based on a 2-day workshop with an interdisciplinary group of experts. This paper describes commonly applied research methods on the nexus between diet and MHSW as presented by the experts and summarises key points from the discussions. The results show that the dominating tool to investigate MSHW is questionnaires. Questionnaires vary largely depending on the research design, such as participants or distribution channels. Cohort studies addressing families and including in-depth interventional and/or experimental studies may be suitable for an Eco-Region investigation. Those MHSW studies can be conducted and combined with measurements of somatic health effects. We conclude that indicators should be seen as complementary rather than independent. Explorative research designs are required to investigate complex Eco-Regions.

KW - Faculty of Science

KW - Mental and social health

KW - Wellbeing

KW - Sustainable and healthy diet

KW - Eco-Regions

KW - Sustainable food systems

U2 - 10.3390/ijerph20010669

DO - 10.3390/ijerph20010669

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 36612999

VL - 20

JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

SN - 1661-7827

IS - 1

M1 - 669

ER -