Personality Determinants of Diet Quality among Polish and Spanish Physical Education Students

Abstract

The aim of the study was to analyze the relationship between the Big Five personality traits and diet quality indexes among Polish and Spanish physical education students. The study was conducted among students from Poland (n = 219) and Spain (n = 280), using the Dietary Habits and Nutrition Beliefs Questionnaire and the NEO-FFI (NEO Five-Factor Inventory) questionnaire. Two indexes were used: the Pro-healthy Diet Index (pHDI-10) and the Non-healthy Diet Index (nHDI-14). For statistical analysis, the t-test with independent estimation of variance as well as both Spearman’s and Pearson’s correlation analysis and moderation analysis with simple slopes were used. Polish and Spanish physical education students demonstrated low levels of healthy (pHDI-10) and unhealthy (nHDI-14) diet indexes, with Polish students showing significantly higher intensities of both indicators (p < 0.001). As extraversion intensified, the levels of pHDI-10 and nHDI-14 increased (p < 0.05). The nHDI-14 index for all students decreased along with increasing openness to experiences (p < 0.01) and agreeableness (p < 0.05), and the pHDI-10 index increased with the rise in conscientiousness (p < 0.01). Analyses have indicated that the home country is an important moderator of personality relationships with the Non-healthy Diet Index (nHDI-14), which, along with the increase in conscientiousness, increased in students from Spain, while it decreased among students from Poland (p < 0.001). Polish and Spanish physical education students showed a low level of healthy (pHDI-10) and unhealthy (nHDI-14) diets depending on country of origin. Additionally, significant correlations were noted between the Big Five personality traits and pHDI-10 and nHDI-14 indexes, and a moderating impact was observed by the home country on the relationships of selected personality traits with the Non-healthy Diet Index (nHDI-14).

Pro-Healthy Diet Properties and Its Determinants among Aging Masters Athletes

“…Unfortunately, the remaining food products were consumed with unsatisfactory frequency, and the indicated nutritional mistakes were particularly related to insufficient consumption of whole grain products, dairy, and fish. These data are largely consistent with the results of Gacek et al [ 12 ], where students showed, among other things, insufficient consumption of whole grain cereals and fermented dairy products. Considering that whole grain products (i.e., wholemeal bread, groats, and oat flakes) are a good source of fiber and have a positive effect on the prebiotic index [ 56 ], a well-balanced diet should be rich in that type of food product.…”

“…Surprisingly, there were no athletes with a high-quality diet. Contrary to the findings of Valdes-Badilla et al [ 54 ] and Gacek et al [ 12 ], in the discussed research, the consumption of fruit and vegetables was the most frequent, which is significant, as in many nutritional recommendations fruit and vegetables are the basics of a healthy diet mainly due to their concentrations of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants [ 55 ].…”

“…The diet quality assessment based on the consumption frequency of 10 groups of products with well-established positions in the guidelines for healthy eating [ 49 , 50 ] indicated numerous nutritional mistakes, which resulted in low pro-health properties of the diet. Thus far, the inadequacy of food choices has been reported in young sport-related groups [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ]. However, our study was the first to show that poor food choices are also a common problem at the level of masters athletes.…”

“…Unfortunately, incorrect food choices are common, and non-adherence to dietary recommendations has been noted in various groups directly related to sport. Thus far, inadequate food choices were confirmed in physical education students from different countries [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ] and in professional and semi-professional athletes [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ].…”

“…According to this approach, the quality of the diet is evaluated using indicators that assess the variety of healthy choices within basic food groups and the compliance of eating patterns with nutritional guidelines [ 38 ]. There are a large number of diet quality indicators (DQIs), and some of them, i.e., the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), Athlete Diet Index (ADI), Pro-healthy Diet Index-10 (pHDI-10), and Australian Eating Surveys (AES), have been used to evaluate the quality of the diet of young athletes [ 12 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 ]. However the literature review conducted in Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases, using the keywords “masters athletes OR masters athletics AND diet quality OR diet quality indicator OR dietary assessment” has shown that a qualitative assessment of diet and eating habits has not yet been conducted in the group of masters athletes.…”