Effect of gastrointestinal symptoms and skipping breakfast on anxiety and depression in quarantined Chinese college students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross sectional survey

Abstract Background: Strict quarantine is an effective measure to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, but it probably increases the risk of anxiety and depression. We aimed to evaluate the anxiety and depression among quarantined college students at school during the COVID-19 pandemic and investigate whether gastrointestinal discomfort related-factors and skipping breakfast lead to increased risk of anxiety and depression. Methods: 384 quarantined college students in Shanghai China were recruited in this cross-sectional study from April 5th to May 29th, 2022. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) were used to assess anxiety and depression, respectively.Results: The prevalence of anxiety and depression were 56.8% and 62.8%, respectively. Longer quarantine duration, higher education level, skipping breakfast, stomachache or abdominal pain, and nausea or dyspepsia were the risk factors for anxiety. Moreover, longer quarantine duration, being woman, skipping breakfast, stomachache or abdominal pain, and nausea or dyspepsia increased the risk of depression. Notably, regularly physical exercising and taking positive attitude towards COVID-19 can reduce the risk of anxiety and depression. Conclusions: More attention should be paid to anxiety and depression of quarantined college students and universities should provide timely psychological monitoring and intervention services to mitigate the impact of negative emotions on students. And effectively relieving gastrointestinal symptoms, insisting on eat breakfast, regularly exercising, and taking a positive attitude towards to COVID-19 might contribute to preventing the anxiety and depression for those college students experiencing a long-term quarantine.