Abstract
Background:
Favorable quality of life (QOL) has been associated with diets with better nutritional quality.
Objective:
To identify dietary patterns and estimate their association with QOL among university faculty.
Method:
Cross-sectional study with faculty members (n=112) from a university in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Information on socioeconomic, work, health, lifestyle, QOL, and psychological distress characteristics were obtained using a self-administered questionnaire. Dietary intake was assessed by means of a food frequency questionnaire. Dietary patterns were identified by factor analysis with principal component extraction and their association with QOL scores was estimated using multiple linear regression models.
Results:
65% were women, 45% were ≥45 years old, and 43% were overweight. The mean general QOL score was 70.0. Four dietary patterns were identified: “snack”, “fast food”, “controlled”, and “basic”. The “controlled” pattern, including butter/margarine, bread, fruit juice, dairy, and caffeinated beverages, was directly associated with general QOL and “social relationships” and “psychological” domains, the latter was also directly associated with the “snack” pattern, composed by vegetables, meats, fruits, caffeinated beverages, and butter/margarine.
Conclusions:
The eating patterns that most explained faculty food consumption presented low nutritional quality, while the pattern with limited carbohydrate content was associated with better general QOL.
Keywords:
feeding behavior; quality of life; faculty; factor analysis, statistical