Nutrition and Health – The Association between Eating Behavior and Various Health Parameters: A Matched Sample Study

Abstract

Population-based studies have consistently shown that our diet has an influence on health. Therefore, the aim of our study was to analyze differences between different dietary habit groups in terms of health-related variables. The sample used for this cross-sectional study was taken from the Austrian Health Interview Survey AT-HIS 2006/07. In a first step, subjects were matched according to their age, sex, and socioeconomic status (SES). After matching, the total number of subjects included in the analysis was 1320 (N = 330 for each form of diet – vegetarian, carnivorous diet rich in fruits and vegetables, carnivorous diet less rich in meat, and carnivorous diet rich in meat). Analyses of variance were conducted controlling for lifestyle factors in the following domains: health (self-assessed health, impairment, number of chronic conditions, vascular risk), health care (medical treatment, vaccinations, preventive check-ups), and quality of life. In addition, differences concerning the presence of 18 chronic conditions were analyzed by means of Chi-square tests. Overall, 76.4% of all subjects were female. 40.0% of the individuals were younger than 30 years, 35.4% between 30 and 49 years, and 24.0% older than 50 years. 30.3% of the subjects had a low SES, 48.8% a middle one, and 20.9% had a high SES. Our results revealed that a vegetarian diet is related to a lower BMI and less frequent alcohol consumption. Moreover, our results showed that a vegetarian diet is associated with poorer health (higher incidences of cancer, allergies, and mental health disorders), a higher need for health care, and poorer quality of life. Therefore, public health programs are needed in order to reduce the health risk due to nutritional factors.

Prevalence and psychopathology of vegetarians and vegans – Results from a representative survey in Germany

“…Additionally, studies conducted in Western countries have consistently shown that vegetarians have a lower BMI compared to their non-vegetarian counterparts, with vegans having the lowest BMI [24][25][26] .There is mixed evidence as to whether vegetarianism is associated with more positive or negative mental health 27 . Although vegetarians have reported more positive mood in some studies 28,29 , they have described more psychological symptoms associated with anxiety and depression in others 30,31 . Similarly, while some studies [32][33][34] have found a higher risk of depression among vegetarians, others 5,28 show no significant difference between vegetarians and omnivores.…”

Is There a Relationship between Vegetarianism and Seasonal Affective Disorder? A Pilot Study

“…Vegetarians show a higher prevalence of depression, anxiety disorders, and severe tiredness. In Western cultures, it appears that a vegetarian diet is associated with an elevated risk for mental disorders, cancer, or allergies [14]. However, there is no evidence for a causal role of a vegetarian diet in the aetiology of mental disorders [15].…”

Association Between Nutritional Status and Dental Caries in Brazilian Teenagers with and without Risk for Eating Disorders

“…Although genetic predisposition is an ever-present factor in psychiatric disorders, it is considered that eating disorders cannot be distanced from the social context of the population, since socio-cultural factors such as social pressure to aesthetics associated with thinness and eating habits have great influence on these diseases [7]; therefore, emphasis should be given to feeding behavior, which has repercussions on well-being and health [8].…”