Plant-Based Diets versus the Mediterranean Dietary Pattern and Their Socio-Demographic Determinants in the Spanish Population: Influence on Health and Lifestyle Habits

BACKGROUND

Plant-based diets are becoming more and more widespread among the Spanish population, progressively replacing the Mediterranean dietary pattern. Different studies have shown the motivations for adherence to these diets, and others have highlighted some health advantages and disadvantages.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

Further studies are needed to define the socio-demographic determinants that influence the choice of a plant-based diet and to study the relationship that the choice of dietary pattern has on the health and lifestyle habits of the population.

METHODS

A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted on the Spanish population. The NutSo-HH questionnaire, developed and validated by the research team, was used to gather socio-demographic, nutritional, social, and lifestyle information through non-probabilistic snowball sampling.

RESULTS

The questionnaire was completed by 22,181 Spanish citizens, of whom only 19,211 were of interest to the study. The socio-demographic variables gender, age, educational level, income level, and place of residence do not seem to influence the prevalence of a plant-based diet (n = 1638) compared to a Mediterranean diet (n = 17,573). People following a vegetarian or vegan diet have a lower BMI, and they consume less fried food, fast food, and ultra-processed dishes and fewer energy drinks or sugary beverages. They also do more exercise and sleep longer hours, smoke less, and consume alcohol less frequently. However, there seem to be more diagnosed eating disorders among people who follow a plant-based diet than those who follow a Mediterranean diet.

CONCLUSIONS

People who adopt a plant-based diet tend to exhibit healthier lifestyle patterns and consume fewer foods that are detrimental to their health. However, it is essential for such dietary choices to be supervised by healthcare professionals to mitigate the risk of maladaptive behaviors evolving into eating disorders.

Analysis of the influence of educational level on the nutritional status and lifestyle habits of the young Spanish population

Aim

This study aims to analyze some nutrition and health habits of young people and the impact of educational attainment on health.

Methods

An observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional study was carried out using surveys. Using non-probabilistic snowball sampling, a previously validated questionnaire was disseminated through networks, collecting a sample of 9,681 people between 18 and 30  years old. Comparative analyses between groups were obtained by clustering and the corresponding statistical tests.

Results

The results showed how young people with higher education generally have a lower BMI, a higher healthy nutrition index, less frequent consumption of sugary drinks, and less smoking than their peers with basic education. These healthier habits are reflected in the higher self-perceived health status of the higher-educated group. While for all the educational levels analyzed, the minutes of physical activity practice are above the 150 min recommended by the WHO.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that young people's education level is of fundamental importance for health, particularly for nutritional habits. In general, the lifestyle habits of the young Spanish population are healthy, but there is a need for improvement in those aspects related to nutrition and food.

Analysis of the Influence of Socio-Demographic Variables and Some Nutrition and Lifestyle Habits on Beverage Consumption in the Spanish Population

Beverages and drinks play a significant role in maintaining the integral health of individuals. The aim of this study is to discover the pattern of beverage consumption in different groups of the Spanish population and to investigate its relationship with other nutritional variables and habits. To achieve the objectives, an observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted. For data collection, a questionnaire was designed and validated that explored different beverage and food consumption variables as well as socio-demographic and lifestyle variables. The instrument was disseminated, among the Spanish young adult population, through snowball sampling using social networks, collecting a sample of 17,541 valid surveys. Bivariate comparative analyses and correlation analyses were performed, and finally, the principal component analysis (PCA) method was used in order to study the relationships between variables related to drinking and health. The main results show significant differences in the pattern of beverage consumption between the socio-demographic variables of sex, age and educational level, as well as between different areas of Spain, while the PCA model shows the relationship between the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages with the Healthy Nutrition Index of the population and sport practice. Based on the results of the study, the following conclusions were reached: the beverage consumption pattern of the Spanish population is affected by socio-demographic variables. Healthier drinking habits affect the nutrition and health of the population.

Diet and Lifestyle in the Spanish Population and Their Relationship with Sociodemographic Variables: A Descriptive Study

A healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition have a major impact on the well-being of a population. Therefore, the aim of this research is to describe the behavior of these habits in relation to sociodemographic variables to provide data on the development of effective training and awareness-raising actions.

METHODS

An observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out. To study the behavior of a series of variables related to eating habits and lifestyle, a questionnaire was designed and validated and subsequently disseminated online, by means of nonprobabilistic snowball sampling, relying on social networks. The sample collected consisted of 18,070 young adults of Spanish nationality. Bivariate comparative analyses were performed using t-test independent samples, and the effect size (ES) was calculated by determining Cohen's D coefficient. A multivariate analysis were conducted using linear regression and principal component analysis.

RESULTS

Adults eat better but have a poorer quality of rest and are more sedentary than young people. No gender differences were found in nutritional habits; however, men engage in more sports and sleep better. People with a higher educational level have better nutritional and sleep habits, but are more sedentary, as are people of a higher socioeconomic level.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher socioeconomic and educational levels seem to favor a healthier lifestyle. The Spanish population aged 18-45 years needs to make dietary changes but leads an active lifestyle.

The Influence of Socio-Economic Factors on Diet and Active Lifestyle in the Spanish Female Population

A balanced diet and healthy social habits are two pillars on which the health of the population is based. Therefore, the efforts of the health system should be aimed at prevention. To this end, it is important to know the prevalence of these habits in different population groups and how they vary according to socioeconomic variables. This is an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study using surveys. A questionnaire was designed to explore a set of variables related to diet and an active lifestyle and was validated through a pilot study and a nominal group. Dissemination was carried out online through social networks by means of non-probabilistic snowball sampling, obtaining a sample of 14.784 women aged between 18 and 45 years. Bivariate comparative analyses were performed using the Mann-Whitney method and the principal component analysis (PCA) method of dimensionality reduction was used to study the relationships between ordinal numerical variables. Results indicate that nutrition was influenced by the age of the sample; adult women have better nutrition than younger women, although they are more sedentary and do less sport. Women with higher education and a medium-high income have better nutrition and healthier lifestyles and a lower BMI and higher self-perceived health status than women with basic education and a lower income. It was concluded that a higher level of income and a higher level of education generally lead to a healthier lifestyle. Spanish women aged 18-45 years need to make changes in their nutrition and lead a more active life.