|
1
|
Berkowitz L, Mateo C, Salazar C, Samith B, Sara D, Pinto V, Martínez X, Calzada M, von Schultzendorff A, Pedrals N, Bitran M, Echeverría G, Ruini C, Ryff C, Rigotti A. Healthy Eating as Potential Mediator of Inverse Association between Purpose in Life and Waist Circumference: Emerging Evidence from US and Chilean Cohorts. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:7099. [PMID: 38063529 PMCID: PMC10705882 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20237099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
High sense of purpose in life, a fundamental domain of eudaimonic well-being, has been consistently associated with lower risk for various 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, studies of these psycho-behavioral and health relationships in the South American population are lacking. This research sought to assess: (1) the cross-sectional association between self-reported purpose in life and overall healthy eating patterns, and (2) healthy food intake as a potential mediator of the inverse relationship between purpose in life and waist circumference. Data collected of 2060 US adults from the MIDUS study (5 ± 12 years, 55% women, mostly white people, and 42.5% obese) and 223 Chilean adults from the CHILEMED study (46.6 ± 9 years, 58.3% women, and 71.3% obese) were used. Anthropometric and sociodemographic variables were collected. Sense of purpose was assessed using the purpose in life subscale of the Ryff's psychological well-being questionnaire. Diet quality was evaluated using healthy eating or low-fat diet indexes, according to extant food intake data in each cohort. The relationship between these variables was estimated by bivariate and multivariate linear regressions with appropriate adjustments. To establish whether a better diet quality could mediate a link of purpose in life and improved nutritional status (assessed by waist circumference), the association between these three variables was tested by bootstrapping-based mediation analysis. Our results show significant associations of sense of purpose with healthy eating and low-fat dietary patterns in both US and Chilean cohorts, respectively, even after adjusting for sociodemographic variables. According to the mediation analysis, the relationship between sense of purpose and waist circumference, as an indicator of abdominal obesity, appears to be partially mediated by healthier food intake in both samples. In conclusion, our findings suggest a plausible mechanism underlying the favorable impact of this well-being dimension on physical health. Given its protective effects, 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.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Loni Berkowitz
- Departamento de Nutrición, Diabetes y Metabolismo, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Santiago 8331150, Chile; (L.B.); (B.S.); (M.C.); (N.P.); (G.E.)
- Centro de Nutrición Molecular y Enfermedades Crónicas, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Santiago 8331150, Chile; (C.M.); (C.S.); (D.S.); (V.P.); (X.M.); (A.v.S.); (M.B.)
| | - Camila Mateo
- Centro de Nutrición Molecular y Enfermedades Crónicas, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Santiago 8331150, Chile; (C.M.); (C.S.); (D.S.); (V.P.); (X.M.); (A.v.S.); (M.B.)
| | - Cristian Salazar
- Centro de Nutrición Molecular y Enfermedades Crónicas, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Santiago 8331150, Chile; (C.M.); (C.S.); (D.S.); (V.P.); (X.M.); (A.v.S.); (M.B.)
| | - Bárbara Samith
- Departamento de Nutrición, Diabetes y Metabolismo, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Santiago 8331150, Chile; (L.B.); (B.S.); (M.C.); (N.P.); (G.E.)
- Centro de Nutrición Molecular y Enfermedades Crónicas, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Santiago 8331150, Chile; (C.M.); (C.S.); (D.S.); (V.P.); (X.M.); (A.v.S.); (M.B.)
| | - Daniela Sara
- Centro de Nutrición Molecular y Enfermedades Crónicas, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Santiago 8331150, Chile; (C.M.); (C.S.); (D.S.); (V.P.); (X.M.); (A.v.S.); (M.B.)
| | - Victoria Pinto
- Centro de Nutrición Molecular y Enfermedades Crónicas, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Santiago 8331150, Chile; (C.M.); (C.S.); (D.S.); (V.P.); (X.M.); (A.v.S.); (M.B.)
- Carrera de Nutrición y Dietética and Centro de Nutrición Molecular y Enfermedades Crónicas, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Santiago 8331150, Chile
| | - Ximena Martínez
- Centro de Nutrición Molecular y Enfermedades Crónicas, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Santiago 8331150, Chile; (C.M.); (C.S.); (D.S.); (V.P.); (X.M.); (A.v.S.); (M.B.)
| | - Mariana Calzada
- Departamento de Nutrición, Diabetes y Metabolismo, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Santiago 8331150, Chile; (L.B.); (B.S.); (M.C.); (N.P.); (G.E.)
- Centro de Nutrición Molecular y Enfermedades Crónicas, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Santiago 8331150, Chile; (C.M.); (C.S.); (D.S.); (V.P.); (X.M.); (A.v.S.); (M.B.)
| | - Andrea von Schultzendorff
- Centro de Nutrición Molecular y Enfermedades Crónicas, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Santiago 8331150, Chile; (C.M.); (C.S.); (D.S.); (V.P.); (X.M.); (A.v.S.); (M.B.)
| | - Nuria Pedrals
- Departamento de Nutrición, Diabetes y Metabolismo, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Santiago 8331150, Chile; (L.B.); (B.S.); (M.C.); (N.P.); (G.E.)
- Centro de Nutrición Molecular y Enfermedades Crónicas, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Santiago 8331150, Chile; (C.M.); (C.S.); (D.S.); (V.P.); (X.M.); (A.v.S.); (M.B.)
| | - Marcela Bitran
- Centro de Nutrición Molecular y Enfermedades Crónicas, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Santiago 8331150, Chile; (C.M.); (C.S.); (D.S.); (V.P.); (X.M.); (A.v.S.); (M.B.)
| | - Guadalupe Echeverría
- Departamento de Nutrición, Diabetes y Metabolismo, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Santiago 8331150, Chile; (L.B.); (B.S.); (M.C.); (N.P.); (G.E.)
- Centro de Nutrición Molecular y Enfermedades Crónicas, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Santiago 8331150, Chile; (C.M.); (C.S.); (D.S.); (V.P.); (X.M.); (A.v.S.); (M.B.)
| | - Chiara Ruini
- Department for Life Qualities Studies, University of Bologna, 40126 Rimini, Italy;
| | - Carol Ryff
- Institute on Aging, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53715-1149, USA;
| | - Attilio Rigotti
- Departamento de Nutrición, Diabetes y Metabolismo, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Santiago 8331150, Chile; (L.B.); (B.S.); (M.C.); (N.P.); (G.E.)
- Centro de Nutrición Molecular y Enfermedades Crónicas, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Santiago 8331150, Chile; (C.M.); (C.S.); (D.S.); (V.P.); (X.M.); (A.v.S.); (M.B.)
| |
Collapse
|