Women's experience of stress and related use of diet and/or dietary supplements

Women's lives are negatively impacted by chronic psychological stress. Dietary supplement use to manage stress is prolific despite inadequate evidence to support supplementation. The researchers used participatory action research to examine the experience of living with stress and the role that diet and/or dietary supplements played in the self‐reported ability to manage stress among community dwelling women. Convenience sampling was used to recruit eight women. Focus group sessions were held across eight consecutive weeks wherein personal experiences of stress and dietary strategies to manage stress were audio‐recorded. Verbatim transcripts of the sessions, journal notes, and email correspondence were analyzed, identifying codes, categories, and six themes: “causes and effects of stress,” “thinking patterns and stress,” “confusion and skepticism about using dietary strategies to manage stress,” “the role of relationships in experiencing stress,” “the role of relationships in managing physical health and stress,” and “stress‐management strategies.” Participants experienced habitual stress responses, skepticism about dietary stress management strategies, and long‐reaching physical and psychological effects on key relationships. Health professionals may find similar perspectives influencing the choices of chronically stressed women they support.