The Impact of Stress and Social Determinants on Diet in Cardiovascular Prevention in Young Women

Nutrients. 2024 Apr 3;16(7):1044. doi: 10.3390/nu16071044.

Abstract

The prevention of cardiovascular diseases is a fundamental pillar for reducing morbidity and mortality caused by non-communicable diseases. Social determinants, such as socioeconomic status, education, neighborhood, physical environment, employment, social support networks, and access to health care, play a crucial role in influencing health outcomes and health inequities within populations. Social determinants and stress in women are interconnected factors that can significantly impact women's health and well-being. Pregnancy is a good time to engage young women and introduce them to beneficial behaviors, such as adopting essential life skills, especially diet, and learning stress management techniques. Stress influences diet, and women are more likely to engage in unhealthy eating behaviors such as emotional eating or coping with stress with food. Strong action is needed to improve women's lifestyle starting at a young age considering that this lays the foundation for a lower cardiovascular risk in adults and the elderly. The objective of this review is to examine cardiovascular primary prevention in young healthy women, focusing particularly on unresolved issues and the influence of social determinants, as well as the correlation with stressors and their influence on diet.

Keywords: Life’s Essential 8; cardiovascular risk; diet; monitoring; physical activity; pregnancy; women.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Cardiovascular Diseases* / prevention & control
  • Cardiovascular System*
  • Diet
  • Female
  • Food
  • Humans
  • Pregnancy
  • Social Determinants of Health

Grants and funding

This research was funded by Fondazione Carisbo, ref #20047 Grant Ricerca medica e alta tecnologia 2022—Progetto “WEARbeing—dispositivi medici e indossabili per la salute e il benessere” P-I-Anna Vittoria Mattioli.