This study used a within-subjects design in a sample of individuals with a range of food insecurity recruited from the Los Angeles community (N = 400; 44.5% men). These participants then, in counterbalanced order, were exposed to a gold-standard laboratory stressor and a control condition, one month apart. Moderation analyses will test whether cortisol reactivity to the stressor acts as a modulator of the relationship between high levels of food insecurity and increased hyperpalatable food intake.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
453
Those undergoing the High-Stress will be exposed to a gold-standard laboratory stressor, the Trier Social Stress Test (Kirschbaum et al., 1993), which reliably induces cortisol reactivity in most individuals.
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California, United States
Hyperpalatable Food Intake Measured in Kilocalories
The primary outcome was hyperpalatable food intake, initially measured in grams and converted into kilocalories. The food consisted of the following items: donuts, M\&Ms, potato chips, crackers, and Sprite. These foods were chosen because processed foods, added sugars, refined grains, starchy vegetables, and sugar sweetened beverages are foods to avoid according to the 2019 American Diabetes Association Nutrition Consensus Report and are high in carbohydrates and glycemic index.
Time frame: Hyperpalatable food intake was measured twice: 5 minutes following the experimental (high stress) or control condition during the first visit, and again 5 minutes following the alternate condition during the second visit.
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