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- Title
Disordered Eating Attitudes and Food Choice Motives Among Individuals Who Follow a Vegan Diet in Brazil.
- Authors
Mazzolani, Bruna Caruso; Smaira, Fabiana Infante; Esteves, Gabriel P.; Santini, Martin Hindermann; Leitão, Alice Erwig; Santo André, Heloísa C.; Gualano, Bruno; Roschel, Hamilton
- Abstract
This cross-sectional study evaluates disordered eating attitudes and food choice motives of individuals who follow a vegan diet in Brazil. Key Points: Question: Is there an association between disordered eating attitudes and food choice motives among vegan dieters? Findings: In this cross-sectional study including 971 individuals who follow a vegan diet, 94% were categorized with the lowest level of disordered eating attitudes, with only 0.6% of participants being associated with disordered eating attitudes. Some food choice motives were associated with disordered eating attitudes in this sample. Meaning: Understanding the motivations of adhering to diets that may impose restrictions, which include vegan diets, may help tailor interventions focused on promoting healthy eating and preventing or treating disordered eating. Importance: It remains controversial whether adhering to a vegan diet may be associated with a higher prevalence of disordered eating. Also, main food choice motives and their association with disordered eating in this population are still unknown. Objective: To determine the association between disordered eating attitudes and food choice motives of individuals who follow a vegan diet. Design, Setting, and Participants: This is a cross-sectional online survey conducted between September 2021 and January 2023. Individuals of both sexes, aged 18 years or older, following a vegan diet for at least 6 months, currently living in Brazil were recruited through advertisements on social media. Exposure: Adherence to a vegan diet and food choice motives. Main Outcomes and Measures: Disordered eating attitudes and food choice motives. Results: Nine hundred seventy-one participants completed the online survey. Median (IQR) age and BMI of participants was 29 (24-36) years and 22.6 (20.3-24.9), respectively, and 800 participants (82.4%) were female. Most participants (908 respondents [94%]) were categorized with the lowest level of disturbed eating attitudes. "Need and hunger," "liking," "health," "habits," and "natural concerns" were the most important food choice motives in this population, while "affect regulation," "social norms," and "social image" were the less important ones. Adjusted models showed that "liking," "need and hunger," and "health" were associated with lower levels of disordered eating attitudes, while "price," "pleasure," "sociability," "traditional eating," "visual appeal," "social norms," "social image," "weight control," and "affect regulation" were associated with higher levels of disordered eating attitudes. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cross-sectional study, as opposed to previous suggestions, levels of disordered eating were very low among vegans, although certain food choice motives were associated with disordered eating attitudes. Understanding the motivations of adhering to diets that may impose restrictions, which include vegan diets, may help tailor interventions focused on promoting healthy eating and preventing or treating disordered eating.
- Subjects
BRAZIL; FOOD habits; VEGETARIANISM; CONFIDENCE intervals; CROSS-sectional method; MULTIPLE regression analysis; FOOD preferences; QUESTIONNAIRES; DESCRIPTIVE statistics; STATISTICAL sampling; DATA analysis software; EATING disorders
- Publication
JAMA Network Open, 2023, Vol 6, Issue 6, pe2321065
- ISSN
2574-3805
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.21065