Healthy eating as potential mediator of the relationship between sense of purpose in life and better nutritional status in US and Chilean adults — ASN Events
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  3. Healthy eating as potential mediator of the relationship between sense of purpose in life and better nutritional status in US and Chilean adults

Healthy eating as potential mediator of the relationship between sense of purpose in life and better nutritional status in US and Chilean adults (#620)

Loni Berkowitz 1 , Camila Mateo 1 , Cristian Salazar 1 , Bárbara Samith 1 , Victoria Pinto 1 , Daniela Sara 1 , Ximena Martínez 1 , Mariana Calzada 1 , Andrea von Schultzendorff 1 , Nuria Pedrals 1 , Marcela Bitrán 1 , Guadalupe Echeverría 1 , Carol Ryff 2 , Attilio Rigotti 1
  1. Nutrición, diabetes y metabolismo, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, SANTIAGO, Chile
  2. University of Wisconsin, Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, EEUU

Background

High sense of purpose in life, a fundamental domain of eudaimonic well-being, has been consistently associated with lower risk for obesity-related chronic diseases. Although this psychological feature correlates with some health behaviors as potential mediators, its association with healthy eating remains less explored. In addition, similar studies in South American populations are lacking.

Aims

This research sought to evaluate the cross-sectional association between sense of purpose and healthy eating as mediator of a better nutritional status (i.e., lower body mass index (BMI), in US and Chilean subjects.

Method

Anthropometric and sociodemographic data collected from 2,061 US adults from the MIDUS study (55±16 years, 55% women, most whites and 42.5% obese), and 206 Chileans from the ChileMed study (46±10 years, 59% women and 78.6% obese) were used. In each cohort, sense of purpose was assessed using the purpose in life subscale of the Ryff’s Psychological Well-being Scale. Diet quality was estimated using healthy eating indexes based on extant food intake data. The relationship of these variables was evaluated by linear regressions and bootstrapping-based mediation analysis.

Results

Our results show significant associations of both sense of purpose and healthy eating with lower BMI. Moreover, positive relationships of purpose in life with healthy eating patterns were found in both US (Coef=0.13, p<0.0001) and Chilean (Coef=0.19 , p=0.007) cohorts, even after adjusting for sociodemographic variables and BMI. Based on the mediation analysis, the association between sense of purpose and lower BMI appears partially mediated by a healthier diet in the MIDUS sample.

Conclusion

In conclusion, healthy eating is a plausible mechanism underlying the impact of purpose in life on physical health. Thus, interventions aimed at increasing purpose in life may facilitate adherence to better dietary patterns, which in turn will reduce the risk for obesity-related chronic diseases.

Supported by NHI (P01 AG020166 and U19-AG051426) and FONDECYT (1201607 and 3210391).

 

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