Login / Signup

The influence of diet quality on health-related quality of life in undergraduates.

Kayla ParsonsKathryn YerxaMona TherrienCarol Byrd-BredbennerJade McNamara
Published in: Journal of American college health : J of ACH (2024)
Objective: Explore the relationship between fruit and vegetable (FV) intake and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in undergraduates. Participants: Undergraduates ( N  = 655). Methods: Using the Centers for Disease Control's Healthy Days Core Module and National Cancer Institute's (NCI) FV screener, differences in HRQOL between students who had consumed above the sample's average FV intake and their counterparts were evaluated. Multiple regression analyses assessed behaviors that predicted HRQOL. Results: Differences existed between HRQOL of students who consumed above average FV ( M  = 2.2 1.3) and peers, F(9,602) = 509, p  < 0.001, Wilk's Δ = 0.116, partial n 2  = 0.884. Predictors explained 30.0% of the variance in days per month feeling healthy ( r 2  = 0.29, F(4, 549) = 58.6, p  < 0.001): perceived stress ( β  = 0.46, p  < 0.001), body mass index (BMI) (β = 0.11, p  < 0.01), FV intake ( β  = 0.16, p  < 0.001), and sleep duration ( β  = 0.08, p  < 0.05). Conclusions: FV intake and modifiable behaviors influenced HRQOL, suggesting that multifaceted interventions could improve HRQOL in this population.
Keyphrases
  • weight gain
  • body mass index
  • physical activity
  • depressive symptoms
  • mental health
  • social support
  • stress induced